Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has turned his focus to Argentina after giving his side a pass mark for their 43-00 victory over Wales. The seven-try shutout in wet conditions at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday saw South Africa build momentum while continuing to blood youth.
Following the win, Erasmus outlined a bold logistical strategy to handle the upcoming travel while preparing for New Zealand.
To manage player welfare and tactical preparation, the coaching staff will split the squad for the upcoming rounds: A travelling squad of 26 players will head to South America for the next fixture in two weeks, while a group of 15 or 16 players will remain behind in South Africa with select coaches. They will focus exclusively on preparing for the home Tests against the All Blacks in August and September.
Erasmus warned that Los Pumas will provide a fierce challenge on their home turf. "Argentina is going to be tough, like Wales; they’ve had our number a few times. Our biggest loss was to them since we’ve been together since 2018. We are just trying to build our game, and today was another step forward."
A slippery surface and high humidity made expansive rugby difficult, leading to several uncharacteristic handling errors from world-class players. Despite the grease, Erasmus praised his pack for fixing the technical issues that plagued them the week prior.
"To get 43 points and to keep them to nil – we’re satisfied with that," said Erasmus. "Forty-three-nil was definitely better than last week – certainly defensively - but it’s easier to defend on a wet field like that – and we had no injuries, so that’s good."
"Our set-piece was really solid," Erasmus noted. "A lot of guys came through this Test with ticks against
The match marked a major milestone as Vusi Moyo became the youngest flyhalf in Springbok history at 20 years and 27 days old.
Tasked with guiding the backline in treacherous conditions, the youngster showed immense composure despite visible early nerves.
"He definitely played well," Erasmus said. "You could see there were nerves. He’s a really accurate kicker... but you get into a Test match like this with a lot of people, a wet ball, and suddenly you don't get your kick-offs on the spot. I thought he handled it extremely well."
Moyo was substituted in the second half after a gruelling shift, with Erasmus jokingly adding that the youngster's "tyres were a little pap (flat)" from the emotional toll of his debut.
Erasmus also said that the Springbok medical room faces a mix of news ahead of the flight to Argentina. He confirmed that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is fully fit and ready to join the tour, while Handré Pollard is ruled out of the immediate trip after pulling a hamstring.
Article by Melissa Nel. Photo credit: Barco Greeff/RuggasMedia.co.za