Erasmus praises All Blacks scrum after Springboks edge third Test in Soweto

Rassie Erasmus offered a candid and generous assessment of the All Blacks scrum after the Springboks edged New Zealand 29-24 in the third Test of the Greatest Rivalry series in Soweto, conceding that Scott Robertson’s side matched them at the set-piece for long stretches of the match.

The game arrived on the back of a week dominated by scrum controversy, with Springboks supporters venting frustration over the tactics and officiating at the breakdown. South Africa ultimately benefited at scrum time — New Zealand conceded 12 penalties across the match, several of them at scrum time — but Erasmus was quick to temper any triumphalist reading of the set-piece battle.

“I don’t think we were dominant in the scrums,” Erasmus said. “I think there were times when it was pretty equal, and things could have gone against us. There were a few scrums where we were under the pump — we were glad they got the ball out and they didn’t keep on scrumming.”

Erasmus specifically highlighted the front-row changes made by Robertson during the match as a turning point, describing the All Blacks head coach as a tactically astute operator. “He’s a gentleman. He definitely coaches a very brutal way, and it’s sometimes difficult to get around the smart things that he coaches,” Erasmus said. “The changes he made really made a hell of a difference.”

The Springboks coach also used the post-match platform to push back against the recurring suggestion that South Africa deliberately manipulates scrum situations for tactical gain. “I hope that we park that now, because they scrummed flippin’ well tonight,” he said. “I mean, we like high balls and we like a kicking game and we like mauling, but we would never pick a scrum.”

Erasmus acknowledged his own complicated history with public criticism of officiating, referencing a previous ban, and suggested the week’s debate had crossed a line in terms of the appropriate forum — without naming those responsible. “The frustration was not because of what was raised, it was: was it the right platform? Should it be out there? And I’ve been guilty in the past, so I’ve learned my lesson.”

With the series still alive, Erasmus signed off with a call to focus on the rugby itself ahead of the fourth Test, adopting Robertson’s own terminology: “If we can park that and just concentrate on — he calls it ‘footy’ — have some good footy next week.”