In a surprising twist, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has made it clear that he’s not entirely satisfied with South Africa’s recent 18-12 victory over the All Blacks in Cape Town. Despite what many would consider an impressive achievement—claiming the Freedom Cup for the first time in 15 years and extending their winning streak against New Zealand to four matches—Erasmus remains grounded. His post-match comments revealed that the team has no reason to brag just yet.
Erasmus' reaction after the match was nothing short of humble, emphasizing that while four consecutive wins against the All Blacks is "nice," he won’t allow the team to get carried away. As he pointed out, New Zealand has previously beaten South Africa six times in a row, and some of those victories included “50-odd point” demolitions. "It feels good that we can pip a team like this," Erasmus stated, but he quickly tempered expectations by acknowledging that on another day, the result could have easily gone the All Blacks' way.
One of the key reasons Erasmus felt dissatisfaction with the performance was the Springboks' sluggish start. Driven by emotions surrounding the Freedom Cup, the team initially struggled, trailing 3-9 at halftime. Erasmus hinted that the pressure to finally reclaim the Cup after a 15-year wait may have made the players overly emotional, leading to uncharacteristic mistakes early in the game.
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