Erasmus defends 10-change gamble as Springboks survive chaotic 42-28 win over Scotland

South Africa survived a chaotic 42-28 victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, with Rassie Erasmus making 10 starting changes from the side that beat England 45-21 a week earlier and fielding a side in which 12 players had fewer than 10 caps.

Erasmus acknowledged that cohesion would be a problem with so many inexperienced players in the lineup, but he was unapologetic about the experiment. “It’s much nicer when you win and you learn than when you lose and you learn,” he said. “There was a stage in 2018 when we were learning but we were losing — but it was important to find out who can do it at this level and who needs some work.”

The Springbok head coach was candid about the defensive lapses that made the scoreline closer than it might have been, pointing to breakdowns in communication when substitutions were made late in the game. “We learned a lot about some players — not that they are not good enough — but that there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “This is the test that some of the guys needed — not against a tier-two nation, but against a tier-one nation that’s a really class team.”

The Loftus crowd grew restless as Scotland scored soft tries, but Erasmus suggested the South African public has come to understand the squad-building philosophy. “I don’t think the crowd was happy at the end, but I think South Africa understands what we tried to do in this game,” he said. “In the past I felt if we made four changes people would ask ‘what are you doing?’ But I feel the interaction between us and the supporters gives us a togetherness and people know what we are trying to do.”

Erasmus also acknowledged the risk attached to the approach, noting that a defeat would have sharpened the criticism considerably. “If we lose the knives will be out — but for me the most important thing is learning about the players,” he said. “If we had lost this game, I think there would be some of the crowd who would understand what we tried to do — but luckily we won.”

The result keeps South Africa level with New Zealand at the top of the Southern Hemisphere conference. Erasmus insisted that identifying which players can perform at the highest level was worth placing a winning streak — and even the conference title — on the line. The Springboks face Wales in Durban next Saturday, with Erasmus giving no indication that he intends to revert to a settled lineup.