Building depth comes at cost of scrappy win, Erasmus says

A much-changed Springboks were run closer by Scotland than the 32-15 winning scoreline suggests, but coach Rassie Erasmus says building his squad depth before the next Rugby World Cup is crucial to defend their title.

Erasmus made 11 changes for Sunday’s fixture at Murrayfield and though his side scored four tries to none, it was a disjointed performance in which they were put under pressure by their hosts.

But the bigger picture is what Erasmus is looking at, and he hopes his policy, in which he has used 49 players so far in 2024, will bear fruit in the long run.

“If you make 11 changes to the side and expect them to immediately gel, it doesn’t always happen like that,” he said.

“But it is something we want to get into the team, that no matter who you play alongside, our systems and communication are always up to scratch. We want to know that if we lose players to injury, we have others who can slot in seamlessly.

“We knew we had good cover on the bench, though the scoreline does not tell the whole story.”

Erasmus praised Scotland for their defence and admitted it was his side’s ability to apply pressure at the scrum and win penalties from the set-piece that helped them to victory.

“Scotland have a very different tackle technique where they hold you up and are very effective. Their defence coach must get a pat on the back. The guys who came on [for SA] eventually got some momentum.”

Springbok captain for the day Eben Etzebeth said they were fully aware of Scotland’s threats.

“When we prepare for Scotland, we prepare the same as if we are playing New Zealand or Ireland, because we know they are one of the top teams in the world,” Etzebeth said.

“The scoreboard flatters us, but we knew it was going to be a bit of a grind. They stood up to us in general play with their physicality. It was a good battle and a good Test match. We weren’t at our best, but we showed quality at the end to win by 17 points.”

Scotland put in one of their best performances in years to match the world champions for 70 minutes, coach Gregor Townsend said, hailing his side’s fight and determination while also ruing some decisions against his side at Murrayfield.

The visitors, led by their bomb squad of seven forwards from the bench, were able to see out the closing minutes and claim a ninth successive win against Scotland, who lost lock Scott Cummings to a red card

“A lot of pride in the performance. I thought it was a brilliant Test match — hugely physical,” Townsend told the BBC. “We matched SA for a lot of the game and we were down to 14 for 20 minutes. I thought the team looked mentally strong.

“A couple of skill errors cost us and we didn’t get the rub of the green with decisions. SA then showed their power in the last 10 minutes. We played one of our best games of the last few years, and we pushed the world champions very close. There are areas we have to improve but some of the defence today was world-class.”

Reuters