Rassie Erasmus remains unfazed by the struggles of the Sharks, while advocating for structural changes to help the Blitzboks return to the summit of sevens rugby.
The Sharks languish at the foot of the Vodacom URC standings after 10 defeats from 11 matches while the Blitzboks are currently seventh on the standings after finishing ninth and 11th in the last two events in Vancouver and Los Angeles, respectively.
Despite the Springbok-laden Sharks’ disappointing 2023-24 campaign in the URC, Erasmus highlights the importance of player fundamentals rather than tactical issues under head coach John Plumtree.
“The way they are coached and what they do is what their current coaching staff and structures are trying to do with them,” the Bok coach told Sport24. “Some of them [the franchises] are successful, and some are not.
“I’ve been there, as a franchise coach, where I have tried a few things or have taken a specific angle and not been successful. We look at the fundamentals of the players and what they do on the field.
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“We don’t look at their tactical play because we can’t have an influence on that. That is their coach’s job. We know their performance when it comes to the fundamentals and, if they can do those fundamentals, then they can pretty much fit into our game plan.
“As a South African supporter, I would love them to do better, but as a Springbok coach, it doesn’t have such a big influence.”
Regarding the Blitzboks, Erasmus rejects singular blame on former head coach Sandile Ngcobo, and attributes part of the team’s challenges to calendar shifts, which affect player availability and depth.
“When a South African team is not performing, it is not one person’s fault. It is not the head coach’s fault alone,” he added.
“The sevens series was always in a window where you could borrow from Griquas or the Lions [or other SA unions], but now those teams are all playing while the sevens series is on.
“That is something that we have to overcome, so that there are 23 or 24 signed players, and that is what the new structure must try and sort out.”
Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
The post Rassie weighs in on Blitzboks, Sharks woes appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
