Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick say the team will miss Rassie Erasmus’ presence but will use his absence as a motivator in this weekend’s Test against England at Twickenham.
Erasmus was on Wednesday handed a two month ban from all rugby activities after being found guilty on all six charges brought by World Rugby for his video critiquing referee Nic Berry’s performance in the first Test between the Springboks and British & Irish Lions.
While SA Rugby has confirmed that Erasmus will appeal the decision, the suspension will stand in the interim and he will not be present on the sidelines or in the coaching box when the Boks take on England on Saturday in a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final.
Bok captain Siya Kolisi said on Friday that he and the rest of the team will miss having Erasmus on the sidelines, especially when it to comes to explaining why players have been substituted at a particular stage of the match.
“It will be tough. His presence makes a huge difference to us as a group. His insight in rugby and the stuff he sees that we don’t see on the field, because he is someone who has played rugby at this level,” Kolisi explained.
“He also motivates us and talks to us on the side of the field. When the subs are made and you might get taken off early, all you are thinking is where you went wrong, but he is always there to chat to us and let us know why you went off at that time. It makes a huge difference because he knows we are competitive and want to give our best.
“I got taken off plenty of times early in the game and people asked why the captain went off so early, but he will tell me straight, ‘we felt you were tired and it’s as simple as that’. So that makes a huge difference and we will miss him. But I know that coaching staff and coach Stick have plans around how we can work around that as a group.”
Stick added that the Springboks will use Erasmus’ absence as a motivating factor against England.
“Rassie is a very special guy to us and the team. We know how much he cares for us. His spirit will always be there. The guy really cares about Springbok rugby and the Springbok family.
“Of course, we are going to miss him. One thing I can guarantee you, his spirit will always be there. We love and care for him and have a lot of respect for him.
“For us, it will be more motivation to play even better because we know what the gentleman has done for us. So we really care and will play for him for sure.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
