Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus gave all the credit to the players as the team finished the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour with a clean sweep of victories following their win against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
Erasmus said the players’ patience with all the squad rotations throughout the season was admirable. The Boks won 11 of their 13 matches in 2024, with their only two defeats being by one point against Ireland and Argentina respectively.
Adding to these accolades, the 45-12 victory over Wales ensured Boks were unbeaten on their traditional November tour for the first time since 2013.
“It was nice for the team to have achieved all of that,” said Erasmus.
“I was worried at first about how the players will take the swapping, but we were honest with them at the beginning of the season, and they all bought into the plan, which is admirable."
“We also got a new attack and defence coach in this year (Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery) and the way they slotted in and assisted the team was fantastic."
“We are satisfied with the scoreboard (against Wales) and the year in general. And one must applaud the players for their effort, especially since we made so many changes."
“It’s rewarding that we were able to finish the year using 50 players. We lost rhythm at times, but the way Siya (Kolisi) and the other leaders kept the group together was special.”
Zooming in on the battle against Wales, Erasmus said their hosts delivered a determined performance despite everything they’ve been through as a team this season.
“They’re a gutsy team and having been part of the first team that lost against them in 1999, I can attest to that,” said Erasmus.
“They are a tough bunch and they could have lied down when had built up a good lead, especially given how hard we were going at them, but they fought and hung in there and scored again at the end.”