Smoke clears after an unseemly war of words to leave South Africa’s director of rugby watching Lions fall victim to his plan
For Rassie Erasmus, mission accomplished. We cannot know to what extent, if any, his video rant and the accompanying outrage affected the match officials but considering it constituted a last throw of the dice, a way to ensure both sides come back to do it all again one last time next week with everything on the line – and a way of firing up his players – it can be seen as a success.
There were calls that went South Africa’s way – Cheslin Kolbe escaping a red card chief among them – and that will only make victory taste all the sweeter for Erasmus and his players. But take nothing away from South Africa’s second-half performance, in which they ruthlessly seized the initiative that eluded them seven days earlier. They won the aerial duel, dominated at set pieces and their bomb squad was devastating. Erasmus could hardly have scripted this contest any better.
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