Springbok Coach Erasmus Foresees “Arm Wrestle” Against Scotland

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus anticipates a “grind” and a “massive arm wrestle” when his world champion team plays Scotland at Murrayfield this Sunday. South Africa has made 11 changes to its lineup since the final match of its victorious Rugby Championship campaign and has notably strengthened its bench with some of the most prominent forwards in global rugby. Captain Siya Kolisi, former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit, and the formidable lock RG Snyman are among Erasmus’s options for the bench. He has opted for a 7-1 split between forwards and backs on the bench, a strategy not employed since the World Cup final last year. Erasmus expressed his respect for Scotland, stating: “Our reality is that we have never experienced big scores against Scotland. We’ve always found it a grind, a massive arm wrestle. They’re actually playing a really balanced game. They kicked a hell of a lot in the Six Nations and last week they ran a lot against Fiji.” He continued, regarding his team’s strategy: “When we’ve got the ball, we know what we want to do. It’s probably when they have the ball, it’s how to stop those guys on the wings and the strong centres.” The coach characterized Duhan van der Merwe as “lethal” and remarked that Finn Russell performed as if he were “running an orchestra.” He admitted he didn’t “see the full-back coming,” indicating his surprise that Tom Jordan would start at 15. Erasmus had anticipated Blair Kinghorn would be selected on the wing due to his proficiency under the high ball. Erasmus also commented on Gregor Townsend, saying: “He will never have a boring game plan. It will always be some excitement. We would be stupid if we try and match them at what they are really good at.” He further elaborated on his team’s development: “We’re trying to develop a game where we don’t just play one specific thing and rely just on scrums, rely just on mauls, rely on one-off runners. I think we’re getting there. We’re definitely not perfect.” Erasmus added: “We can vary it a little bit, but it’s not to say that we’re not gonna go the physical, direct route. I remember [when we played against Scotland at the last World Cup] everybody asked if this is the best Scottish team ever? Is this the best attacking Scottish team ever? That was more or less a narrative during the week.” He concluded his thoughts on Scotland’s current play: “We actually think they attack now with more variation. They’re definitely keeping us guessing because what they did in the Six Nations games and what they did against Fiji is total opposites.”