Rassie Erasmus says that despite going into the World Cup as defending champions, the Springboks are still underdogs compared to Ireland, New Zealand and tournament hosts France.
Erasmus was speaking during a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail, during which he also touched on the Springboks’ pursuit of former Test referee Nigel Owens.
The director of rugby was in charge of a remarkable turnaround in 2018 and 2019, when he took the Springboks from one of their lowest positions to world champions.
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Despite picking up a Lions Series win in 2021 since then, Erasmus said that the Boks would go into their world title defence as underdogs, when compared to world number one and recent Six Nations champions Ireland.
“Would you not say we’re going in as underdogs?” Erasmus asked during the interview. “I’m with you, but with no emotions would you not say that France, Ireland and New Zealand are currently the favourites?
“Realistically, yes, we see ourselves as going in to defend it, and we get a lot of confirmation out of that match against France and Ireland in November. Before that, and this is not an excuse, we went a little bit cold into that match. But Ireland and France are No 1.
“And we know New Zealand if they played them today it would definitely be one point this way or that way. We also believe if we play against those guys it’ll be one point either way.”
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Erasmus further explained why the Springboks wanted Owens as part of their coaching staff during the World Cup.
“We have to repair this because obviously there’s not a great relationship,” Erasmus explained, referring to the tension between World Rugby and the Springboks.
“When you’re South African, you see how South Africans see. Even the way I talk, sometimes people think it’s aggressive. When you’ve known me a while you know it’s not aggressive. It is having another voice trying to get us not sound attacking or arrogant. We definitely want to change that view.
“If we get our way, we will have him as soon as possible. I actually just emailed him. He said it’s a goer.”
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