Eddie Jones had the World Cup pedigree but the Springboks coach was more cunning in rotating his front-row resourcesSouth Africa had the Bomb Squad; England blew up. It was a tactical triumph for the Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus who, two years ago, was on his way from Munster to run the disintegrating professional game in South Africa only to find when he arrived home that the national side demanded his immediate attention. But the Springboks’ triumph was also based on his belief that sport is equally about the physical and the mental.South Africa owed their World Cup success not only to the aggression that burned in all their players, even those rather smaller than the forwards who seem as wide...
Eddie Jones’s team have the ability to break down South Africa’s traditional power game and win a tight contestI think England will beat South Africa in the World Cup final. I feel it not because of hard statistics, nor because emotions are getting the better of me. Here’s my reasoning.In attack, South Africa have moved back to their more traditional power game and it has given them certainty on the field. The Springboks under their excellent coach, Rassie Erasmus, are all on the same page. Related: England’s Rugby World Cup finals: the inside story on 1991, 2003 and 2007 Related: The Breakdown | Defence will be Springboks’ strength against England in World Cup final Continue reading...
Since Rassie Erasmus took over as coach, the Springboks have adopted an uncompromising style of play based on kicking and tackling that has paid dividends during the World CupSouth Africa may not indulge in much Rassie‑dazzle, but they have recovered the winning formula after two years in which they suffered a number of humiliating defeats. It is based on an uncomplicated gameplan in which they look at their best when the opposition have the ball and get knocked back by a gang of bruising forwards.When Rassie Erasmus took over as head coach at the beginning of last year, he pledged to make South Africa look like South Africa again, physical and strong in the set pieces, and he has been...
Rassie Erasmus has turned South African rugby around and the World Cup final is likely to be tight and tense given their powerAs the wheel turns, so the hunters become the hunted. England chased down New Zealand last weekend, herding the holders into an enclosure, but they know South Africa are coming to round them up on Saturday.The Springboks’ head coach, Rassie Erasmus, was happy on Tuesday to more than hint at his line-up for the final and point out that England could expect more of the same remorselessly physical, attritional rugby that had taken them to the final day. He is not one given to subterfuge or mind games: the only doubt he looks to put into opponents is...
The Leicester fly-half is in cruise control – his kicking into space has been better than all the other No 10s in JapanHaving played against England at this World Cup I am not remotely surprised to see them in the final on Saturday. They have a squad – and a game plan – with “world champions” written all over it. Their confidence must also be through the roof having dismantled the All Blacks in Yokohama. Eddie Jones’s men seem to be peaking at the right time and have built steadily throughout the tournament.Love him or hate him, England’s head coach has been in masterful form. His “humorous” comments before games are no accident: they are designed to galvanise his team...