Erasmus embraces underdog status after Springboks' 33-16 thrashing by All Blacks

Rassie Erasmus has relinquished South Africa’s world No.1 ranking to New Zealand after the Springboks were beaten 33-16 by the All Blacks in the opening Test of their four-match series. The defeat prompted the coach to openly embrace underdog status heading into game two, with a wry grin accompanying his post-match remarks to reporters.

Erasmus was generous in his praise of Dave Rennie’s side, crediting their execution on both sides of the ball and their ability to generate a decisive surge of momentum in the final quarter. South Africa had controlled the scrum for much of the contest, converting that dominance into penalty points across the opening hour, but a pivotal scrum infringement with 15 minutes remaining shifted the match irreversibly.

“I don’t think I’m in a position to sit here and say there was anything poor about the All Blacks, because you get a hiding like this, you get soundly beat by a team that is probably now number one in the world,” Erasmus said. “It’s nice now to go into the next game as the underdogs. It feels different.”

Asked whether the late scrum penalty was the turning point, Erasmus agreed it was “spot on” as an assessment, while acknowledging a tactical misjudgement from his own side. “Maybe our suggestion should have been to take the three points, because we were only a few points down at that stage,” he said. “But they scrummed really well there.”

He singled out tighthead Wilco Louw for praise, explaining why South Africa opted for a third consecutive scrum under the posts before the penalty swung possession. He attributed the infringement to Gerhard Steenekamp going offside and the referee correctly calling a wheel.

Erasmus was candid about the broader picture beyond the scrum, acknowledging that New Zealand’s dominance stretched well beyond a single phase. “I thought up until minute 50, we were really dominating territory, possession, and we felt we were really in the game. Against a class team like New Zealand, if you don’t pull through, they give you a reply.”

The Springboks now trail the series 1-0 with three Tests remaining.