“We Allowed That To Slip”: Erasmus Explains Sacha vs Manie Decision For Crucial All Blacks Clash

With the series on the line, victory remains the overriding objective for the Springboks, but Rassie Erasmus believes the fourth Test against New Zealand in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry offers his side an opportunity to address several areas of their game that have fallen short of the standards they expect.

The Springboks have held commanding leads in their previous two Tests, only to see the All Blacks fight their way back into contention before South Africa eventually secured narrow victories.

For Erasmus, that pattern highlights an important area for improvement: closing out matches with greater consistency.

“We want to try and play better, and there are lots of areas where we can get better,” Erasmus said.

“In the past two Tests, we have had good leads and then only won by about seven points, so it shows that we didn’t necessarily handle the closing stages too well.”

The South African coach believes consistency must improve on both sides of the ball, particularly during the crucial final stages of matches.

“I don’t think we have been consistent, and we need to get an element of consistency into the way we play, both on attack and defence,” he said.

“We’ve been better in the last 10 minutes in past games, and I feel in the previous three games we’ve allowed that to slip.”

While the Springboks’ defence has become one of their defining features, Erasmus was quick to emphasise just how difficult it is to contain New Zealand.

“Everyone talks about our defence, but defending against New Zealand is really tough,” admitted Erasmus.

That challenge has also influenced South Africa’s selection and tactical approach at fly-half, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu handed the starting role and Manie Libbok again providing an attacking option from the bench.

Libbok’s introduction in the previous Test brought a noticeable change to the Springboks’ attacking approach, raising questions over whether his role is better suited to exploiting gaps in the All Blacks’ defence.

Erasmus acknowledged that several factors influenced the selection.

“Firstly, we could have selected Handre as well, who will probably play against Australia,” he said.

“Consistency in selection is a factor, but the game also looks different in the last 30 minutes when everyone gets tired. There are more gaps, and you see heavy-footed forwards struggling to close them.”

That is where Libbok’s particular skill set can become increasingly valuable.

“Apart from the skill Sacha has and the many things he can do well, he is a really good defender, and that helps when you know the All Blacks always try to get a fast start,” Erasmus explained.

“Manie definitely did really well for us, but we know he can come on early if needed and can handle the pressure; however, we might need him later in the game.”

Erasmus also stressed the importance of continuity as the series reaches its decisive stage. Having rotated his squad extensively during the year, he believes the Springboks’ experience of long campaigns has taught them that series are often decided in the final matches.

“We have found that the series gets won and lost in game three or four,” he said.

“We felt gas in the tank was crucial, and that is why we managed the guys the way we did in the Nations Championship. We have chopped and changed a lot this year. Lots of players were given an opportunity.”

The Springboks’ approach has therefore been built around a combination of experimentation and continuity, with the expectation that the latter would become increasingly important as the series progressed.

“We certainly have experience in touring, and we always felt we would get continuity in games two, three and four of the series,” added the Springbok tactician.

That continuity is now evident as South Africa prepares for another decisive encounter with the All Blacks.

Winning the series is, of course, the immediate priority. But for Erasmus, the bigger objective is to ensure the Springboks leave the Test having taken another step towards becoming a more consistent team — particularly when matches enter their most demanding phase.

For a team with ambitions of remaining at the summit of world rugby, that may ultimately prove just as important as the result itself.