Rassie Erasmus has warned that the Springboks must improve for the final Test against New Zealand in Johannesburg on Saturday, despite securing a gritty 33-26 victory at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The win levelled the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1, bouncing back from last weekend's 33-16 defeat. While the Boks were outscored four tries to three, a flawless kicking masterclass from Cheslin Kolbe—who slotted four penalties and three conversions—clinched the hard-fought result.
South Africa's tries came courtesy of Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, and captain Siya Kolisi. The hosts took the lead in the opening two minutes and held their advantage until the final whistle, despite a fierce late onslaught from the visitors.
Speaking after the match, the Springbok head coach praised the evolution of the New Zealand team.
“They are a brilliant team, and there are definitely things we must fix,” Erasmus said. “I don’t want to be technical about the edge defence, but they have really smart players, and they are two classes up from what they were last year.
“The one thing we immediately agreed in the changing room is that this is a really good New Zealand team. This week we did a lot of things much better, and I can tell you now that this is not the same New Zealand team we played last year.
“They attacked with width, they got offloads away, they’re really well coached, and they’ve got athletes who can beat you on a dime. A couple of more phases at the end and it could have been a draw.”
The victory brings massive relief to the camp following intense scrutiny after the opening Test loss. Erasmus admitted that the high expectations of the South African public weigh heavily on the team.
“We 100% understand the pressure and why people are upset because no one wants to support a losing team,” Erasmus explained. “No one in South Africa wants to support anything that’s not working. A loss here and there doesn’t make you a losing team immediately, but it’s when you go on a losing run that the pressure comes on.
"But of course, I felt the pressure. I think the players will tell you I felt the pressure. I was nervous. We must make sure we’re not comfortable after this win and think we’re all good again because there were things we didn’t do well.”
Erasmus also shed light on his late tactical shake-up, which saw his original bench front row swapped into the starting lineup just before kick-off.
“The closer we came to the game, the weather was said to be dry," Erasmus noted. "We felt that a front row that was a little bit lighter would be better on a dry field.”
The series now moves to Johannesburg on Saturday for a winner-takes-all decider.