Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says France have played both brutal and beautiful rugby in this year’s Six Nations.
Les Bleus will face back-to-back champions Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, the winner likely to lift the trophy on 15 March.
A last-minute defeat to England at Twickenham ended France’s Grand Slam hopes, but big wins against Wales (43-0) and Italy (73-24) have them just three log points behind the unbeaten Irish after three rounds.
Speaking this week at a press conference for the international media, Erasmus noted Ireland were favourites to win on Saturday but that France could not be discounted.
“I am quite impressed by their size; they obviously have special playmakers but they can also physically hurt their opponents, as they showed against Italy.”
TEAM: France get double boost for Dublin duel
While World Rugby seems fixated on making rugby more “entertaining” for fans, by introducing law variations that de-power the scrum and speed up the game, Erasmus said he would like to see “more physical confrontation” in future.
He added: “I think there is room for physical play, and physical dominance should be rewarded.”
The Boks have certainly embraced the physical aspect of rugby, with their Bomb Squad proving to be a game-changer. They first had seven forwards on the bench for the record 35-7 win over the All Blacks at Twickenham in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup, and did so again when the stakes were the highest, against the same opponents in the World Cup final in Paris.
OPINION: Boks’ Bomb Squad is good for the game
While the strategy has drawn criticism, France coach Fabien Galthié showed that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery when opting for a 7-1 split on the bench for the match against Italy and again this week.
“We don’t do things to annoy people, we just want to win,” Erasmus said when asked about the Bomb Squad. “I don’t care what people think because the rules allow you to have a 7-1 bench. If it had been dangerous, we would have had problems, but it is not.
“I don’t try to come across as the smart guy, I want to win, and that’s what the French wanted to do in Italy. They have a backline that allows them to cover a lot of positions. ”
Erasmus made mention of the Springboks’ one-point quarter-final win at the 2023 World Cup – saying “the French could very well have gone all the way”– and said the rematch in Paris on 8 November would be the ideal challenge to “test us under pressure”.
MORE: Les Bleus licking their lips for Bok revenge
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
