Rassie respectful but unfazed as Springboks eye Dublin breakthrough

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says the result of a close match against Ireland on Saturday will not define a season, in which his team have already won 11 of the 13 matches they have played.

Erasmus added that while much is being made about the Boks losing four of their last five games against the Irish, the margins have been tiny.

“I am not sure that Saturday’s result will define the season as being successful or not,” the coach said. “If we play at our best, but Ireland are better on the day, what can you say then? That is rugby.

“It is about the level of performance that we deliver in our fourteenth match of the season. We have been together since the beginning of June. To keep up the intensity and to keep emotions in check after big matches against the All Blacks and France, plus the drain of the red cards … that is the challenge.

“It would be great if we play very well, but if they also play well, it will be a close match. We would love to win in Dublin for the first time since I was involved, to cap off a good season.”

Erasmus added that recent Tests between the teams have hinged on the slimmest of margins, including the Boks’ 25–24 defeat at Kings Park last year, which saw Ireland level the series 1-1 after the Boks had won in Pretoria the week before.

“It’s not like we were totally outplayed. Look at Durban, the drop goal in the last minute. Look at the 2023 World Cup pool match — it came down to the last maul. It’s always close.”

Erasmus explained what makes the Irish team so awkward to play against.

“They’re not easy to maul against. Stopping a maul is not always brute force — sometimes it’s technically swinging around and outsmarting guys, and they do that better than most,” he said.

He said the Irish are also technically precise at the breakdown.

“It’s not always the big poach; it’s (openside flank) Caelan Doris doing really good technical things within the law.”

Erasmus praised the systems in Ireland that get the best out of just 160 professional players.

“The way the Irish system works is really great. Technically, a guy always gets better here. They study a lot — they’ve got mind-gym meetings; they know exactly what line-out call you’ll make and how to counter it.”

Erasmus laughed off the suggestion that facing Ireland was personally important to him because he coached Munster for two years (2016–2017).

“Hell, if it’s about me, then we’re talking about the wrong things. The Irish taught me a lot. It’s not personal — it’s respect.”