Rassie Erasmus calls for Springboks improvement before decisive All Blacks Test

Rassie Erasmus says South Africa must raise their performance in the third Greatest Rivalry Test against New Zealand, despite the Springboks’ 33-26 victory in Cape Town.

The result drew the series level at 1-1 and set up a decisive meeting at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, but South Africa’s head coach believes his side will need to improve again against an All Blacks team he considers significantly stronger than the one they faced last year.

New Zealand scored four tries to South Africa’s three in Cape Town, yet the Springboks secured victory through an error-free kicking display from Cheslin Kolbe. He kicked four penalty goals, while Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi each added a conversion after scoring tries.

Despite the narrow margin and New Zealand’s superior try count, South Africa held on for a hard-fought win. Erasmus, however, was clear that the performance had exposed areas that needed attention before the return fixture.

“They are a brilliant team, and there are definitely things we must fix,” said Erasmus.

“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.”

Erasmus said the South Africa squad had immediately recognised the quality of their opponents after the match, while also acknowledging that the Springboks had made progress compared with their previous meeting.

“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.”

The All Blacks caused problems by attacking across the width of the field and successfully releasing the ball in contact. Erasmus also praised the coaching of the New Zealand side and warned that their athletic players could create openings with very little warning.

“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 Johannesburg Test will therefore carry added significance, with the teams level after the opening two matches of the series. South Africa’s victory in Cape Town followed New Zealand’s success in the first Test, leaving Saturday’s contest to determine the series winner.

The third Greatest Rivalry Test at FNB Stadium kicks off at 17:10 on Saturday.