Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has defended his side’s tactics in their second test against Italy that have caused so much debate in international rugby this week.
The Boks raised eyebrows across the world when they deliberately were in front of the kick off in the second test against Italy in a ploy to force a scrum, while later in the game they employed a niche move in the midfield, setting up a lineout in each half that led to a try.
Predictably the response across the world has been to debate whether or not it is legal and against the “spirit of the game” with some calling on World Rugby to outlaw it so that the Boks cannot use it again.
While the Boks have been at the forefront of innovation over the past few years much to the dismay of some around the rugby world and while Erasmus didn’t want to use the word frustrated at describing his reaction to the response across the globe, he clearly is not impressed.
Part of Rassie’s issue is who gets to decide what is innovation and what is against the spirit of the game? Rugby definitely needs innovation, and while he may not be popular with some in the northern hemisphere because he is a maverick and is highly successful, innovation should be praised, not denounced.
WHAT IS AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME?
“I must count my words here, because I don’t want to sound arrogant, but rugby does not belong to anybody. It is not Italy’s game, or England’s game, or New Zealand’s game, or France’s game, or even Japan’s game.
"Everybody plays differently. There are laws in place and Jannie de Beer kicked five drop goals in 1999 - is that against the spirit of the game?” Erasmus asked.
“The French ran the ball from everywhere - is that against the spirit of the game? If you put the ball skew into the scrum and you take away the contest - is that against the spirit of the game?
“We want scrums and we don’t put the ball in skew to just get the scrums over with, we want the scrums. We could have kicked the ball out directly and got the scrum that way and nobody would have known.”
Erasmus said they were open about wanting to challenge laws and looking for legal ways to come up with new situations.
BOKS CHALLENGE NORMS FOR THEMSELVES
“But it is not about what we want to do to the world, it is more about what we want to know for ourselves. It is what gets us up for the games. We don’t hide the fact that we wanted the first scrum and we would rather show it than kick the ball out and everybody thinks it is an accident.
“We want the scrum and we wanted to show we wanted the scrum - because in the previous test we couldn’t compete in the scrum because the ball was just fed to the eighth man.
“Even though it didn’t work out for us, and there are many things that don’t work out for us - which we try - and we take that on the chin.”
Erasmus also pointed to other nations who did trick moves, but have never been condemned.
“There are lineout moves where we get outsmarted - New Zealand have fantastic lineout moves where they will have a jumper here and a jumper there and then they will throw it to the middle to Tony Woodcock in the old days and he would score a try, even though there was an early jump.
“But you don’t moan about that, you say it is creative. That’s well done. If the French kick the ball into your in-goal area and you just kick the ball out, is that against the spirit of the game?
A solid 80-minute effort in Gqeberha 👌#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvITA pic.twitter.com/vzIKXEmjoo
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 12, 2025
BOKS WON'T CHANGE
“I don’t understand who are the people who decide what is against the spirit of the game and who has the rights to decide that? Whatever we do, we do it for South Africa. We don’t do it for the rest of the world, we do it within the laws.
“I wouldn’t say it is frustrating, but we do it for us, for our people and the way we play. If they want us to be the dumb, boring side that just bully people? If they want that back, I don’t think our people want that back? There are laws or rules or protocols, as long as we are happy in South Africa all good.”
And that, at the end of the day, is what counts for this Bok team. Winning for the nation, and staying ahead of the chasing pack. Bok fans know that no matter what World Rugby decide to outlaw, the Boks will be one step ahead. And unapologetic about it.