Rassie Erasmus has pre-empted World Rugby’s law amendments that negate the Springboks’ forward dominance, by investing in dynamic backs, writes MARK KEOHANE.
The governing body earlier this week outlined the next steps in the process of reimagining rugby’s entertainment factor, part of a wider mission to grow the sport’s audience over the next decade.
It appears set to make a radical change to the set-piece laws that favours teams with a weaker scrum, affecting a core part of the Boks’ back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that Erasmus foresaw the initiatives and, as SA’s director of rugby, had encouraged the introduction of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie to the Bok backline while selecting Damian Willemse at fullback and flyhalf Manie Libbok.
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Additionally, he highlights that Erasmus’ appointment of ex-All Blacks playmaker Tony Brown as attack coach further enhances the world champions’ prowess and positioned him ahead of rugby’s key decision-makers once again.
“Erasmus, pre the 2019 World Cup, manipulated the makeup of the eight substitutes through building a second pack to provide impact,” Keohane writes.
“It proved a masterstroke, playing with six forwards and, on occasion, even seven forwards in the record-breaking 35-7 win against the All Blacks at Twickenham, pre the 2023 World Cup.
“However, Erasmus’s rugby brain never stops thinking and what others call a risk, he calls innovation. Erasmus, in the latter part of 2022, had already started evolving the Springboks style of play and their potency on attack.
“Law changes will not restrict Erasmus’ Boks because his player and coaching attack selections are a statement that the Bok coach is once more a few moves ahead of World Rugby’s lawmakers.”
Photo: Kyodo News via Getty Images
The post Rassie’s Boks always two steps ahead appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
