Rassie Erasmus has cautioned that the All Blacks will present a tougher challenge after South Africa’s dominant win over Australia in the Rugby Championship.
Coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged that the All Blacks will be a “step up” in competition after the Springboks comfortably defeated Australia to kick off their Rugby Championship campaign in style.
The two-time reigning world champions scored all four tries in their 30-12 victory at Perth’s Optus Stadium, cheered on by 58,197 fans on Saturday.
South Africa made 10 changes following their 33-7 triumph in Brisbane last week, but the depth of talent and strength from the bench overwhelmed a determined Wallabies side in challenging, wet conditions.
“Pleased with the win” – Rassie Erasmus
“We’ve always found it tough against Australia,” Erasmus said, as South Africa recorded their fourth consecutive win against the Wallabies, a feat not achieved since the country’s readmission to international rugby in 1992.
“We’re always pleased with a win, and to secure two bonus-point victories over here, with all 33 players on tour getting game time, is fantastic.
“There were a few more tries we could have scored, so the margin could have been bigger, but we’re happy with earning five points two weeks in a row.”
The match was played under heavy rain, with several players forced off due to head injuries in what was a fierce contest.
Australia bore the brunt of the injuries, but South Africa also lost stand-in captain Salmaan Moerat early on after he took a knee to the head.
“Moerat will go through concussion protocols… we have a week off, so I don’t foresee him missing the next game,” Erasmus confirmed.
The Springboks are now set to host two Tests against a resurgent All Blacks team, starting with a clash in Johannesburg on August 31.
This will be the first time the two powerhouses meet since last year’s tense World Cup final, where South Africa defended their title with a narrow 12-11 victory.
New Zealand back in form
After a surprising loss to Argentina in Wellington last week, New Zealand bounced back in style on Saturday with a commanding 42-10 win at their Eden Park stronghold.
“We saw how New Zealand turned things around after last week’s result, so we know the challenge that awaits us… it will certainly require another step up,” Erasmus remarked.
“With all due respect to Australia, they are in a rebuilding phase and their new coach, Joe Schmidt, is still finding his footing, so the next two Tests will be tougher.
“We’ll face them at altitude in Johannesburg and then in Cape Town, where they enjoy playing, so we’re excited about what will essentially be a mini-series against them.”
Meanwhile, Australia is counting the cost of the bruising encounter after their front row was decimated by head injuries to captain Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, and James Slipper.
Inside centre Hunter Paisami and hooker Josh Nasser also sustained leg injuries.
“I’ve been involved in coaching over 100 Test matches, and I’ve never seen that many injuries in quick succession before,” said Schmidt, whose record as Australia’s coach now stands at 3-2.
The winless Wallabies now face the daunting task of traveling to Argentina for back-to-back matches.
“It doesn’t get any easier going to Argentina next,” Schmidt said.
“They’ll be disappointed with their first half against New Zealand, but they showed how tough they can be when they toppled the All Blacks.
“They won’t be taking it easy on us, and we’ll try to make it difficult for them.”
