Rassie Erasmus Explains Decision to Empty Bok Bench at 47 Minutes in Perth
- Rassie Erasmus revealed the mass substitution was a reaction to match events, not a pre-planned tactic
- South Africa sent on all eight replacements simultaneously in the 47th minute while trailing Australia by 25 points
- Despite the heavy defeat, Erasmus said the experience against an improving Wallabies side held value ahead of next year's World Cup
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Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has clarified that his unprecedented decision to introduce all eight bench players at once during Saturday's Rugby Championship clash against Australia at Optus Stadium was not scripted before kick-off but forced by what unfolded on the pitch.
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South Africa trailed 24-17 at half-time, and the Wallabies extended that lead to 42-17 by the 65th minute. Although the Boks mounted a late comeback and closed the gap to four points, the final scoreline read 42-38 in Australia's favour.
Why the bench was emptied at once
Erasmus explained that South Africa had initially planned to introduce the fresh forwards at the next scrum on their own ball, but those opportunities did not materialise in the second half.
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He said that after Australia scored again and extended their lead to 20 points, the coaching staff decided to make the changes immediately in an attempt to shift the momentum. Erasmus clarified that the decision to bring on the replacements at that stage had not been pre-planned.
Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager, Jasper Wiese, Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Quan Horn all took to the field simultaneously in the 47th minute.
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Erasmus praises improved Wallabies side
Despite the defeat, the two-time World Cup-winning coach distinguished the result and the broader learning opportunity, noting the Wallabies' sharp improvement under head coach Les Kiss.
He credited both Kiss and his predecessor Joe Schmidt for the technical precision Australia now displays, particularly in line-outs and defensive structure.
"It's the small details they get right... They always fill the field on defence. There are always numbers on their feet," Erasmus said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup, Erasmus framed the Perth encounter as useful preparation.
"Next year when we play them, we'll know a little bit more about each other. I'm not going to say 'lessons learned', but I think what happened tonight was a valuable experience," he said.
Matfield admits 'definite little gap' in Springboks depth
Briefly News previously reported that Springboks legend Victor Matfield weighed in on South Africa's 42-38 defeat to the Wallabies in Perth after Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes
Matfield pointed to the third-choice front row and fourth-choice scrum-half starting in Perth as key factors in the result
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Source: Briefly News
