Rassie Erasmus Reacts to Jasper Wiese’s Red Card in Springboks’ Defeat to France
- Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus spoke out after South Africa's narrow two-point defeat to France
- The Boks conceded 11 penalties and had players sent off, including a 20-minute red card for Jasper Wiese
- Erasmus acknowledged the cards were justified but pointed to what he believed separated the two sides
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Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has identified his team's indiscipline as the primary reason for their defeat to France, after a performance marred by a red card, yellow cards and an 11-penalty count against his side.
Speaking to Rugby365 following the loss, Erasmus reflected on a match the Boks ultimately lost by two points, drawing a sharp contrast with the previous week's display against Italy, where South Africa conceded just five penalties.
Cards That Turned the Tide
Flanker Jasper Wiese received a 20-minute red card for a dangerous cleanout, while lock Lood de Jager was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. France also received two yellow cards during the contest.
Erasmus was candid in his assessment. "Those cards hurt us; it cost us in a big way. I don't think any of those cards conceded were intentional, but I agree that it should have been cards; we can't moan about that," he said.
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He added that the penalty count stood at six to four in France's favour at the interval, before Wiese's dismissal shifted the balance further against the Boks.
Effort Not Enough to Overcome Indiscipline
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Erasmus acknowledged his players' resilience. France failed to add to their score after the 30th minute, and the Boks did manage to cross the line while reduced to 14 men for a significant portion of the match.
"It's hard to look for positives in a defeat; it's not nice, but if I have to take a positive out of this match, it would be the effort, grind and pride the players showed," Erasmus said.
He also expressed concern for the French players who were on the receiving end of the hits that led to the cards. "They didn't go off for HIA's [Head Injury Assessments], so I hope they are okay and those hits didn't cause too much harm to those players," he said.
Erasmus was unequivocal in summing up the result. "I guess the frustration is how our discipline cost us, and to lose by two points…to lose by any margin is terrible, but in conclusion, our discipline cost us."
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Source: Briefly News
