­
  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER

SA Rugby magazine

South African rugby news, interviews, videos and more. Covering the Springboks, Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Cheetahs and Lions, as well as schools and club rugby.

Primary Menu Search
  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER
You are here: Home ∼ Bongi: Rassie broke mental shackles

Bongi: Rassie broke mental shackles

Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi at World Cup
Published on October 22, 2019

Bongi Mbonambi believes that the Springboks’ transformation over the past two seasons is down to Rassie Erasmus’ honest and open player management approach. JON CARDINELLI in Tokyo reports.

Rock bottom. That’s where the Boks and South African rugby were two years ago after they suffered yet another loss to Wales in Cardiff.

ALSO READ: Boks get Garces again

2016 was a nightmare. The Boks sustained historic losses to Ireland, Argentina and Italy. They also copped record hidings at the hands of the All Blacks and Wales.

There was more pain in the post, though, as 2017 witnessed a 57-0 humiliation in Albany as well as 38-3 capitulation in Dublin. By the end of that tour, the world was ready to mourn the death of a once-proud rugby nation.

In a matter of months, however, newly appointed director of rugby Rassie Erasmus managed to revive the ailing entity. Erasmus took the reins as head coach and managed to score a landmark victory in New Zealand. A year later, he steered the Boks to their first major title in 10 years.

Fast forward to the present, where the Boks are one win away from featuring in a World Cup final. If the Boks beat Wales in Yokohama this Sunday, they will face England or the All Blacks in the decider.

A lot has been said and written about Erasmus over the past 18 months. He’s been described as a technical genius and has been duly credited for his drive to get all of the South African rugby teams moving in the same direction.

The Bok players have used every available opportunity to praise Erasmus and the manner in which he’s turned this team around. On Tuesday, Mbonambi, who was part of the side that struggled in 2016 and 2017, as well as Matt Proudfoot, who was on Alllister Coetzee’s coaching staff, spoke about the biggest changes over the past 18 months.

COLUMN: Gift of the giver

‘Rassie has made a massive difference,’ Mbonambi began. ‘He’s made decisions that have influenced the whole nation.

‘He’s a guy who has an honest opinion about each and every individual player. He’s not the type of coach to do things behind closed doors; he will do things openly in front of the whole team.

‘The players have more respect for someone like that. When you have a coach like that, you have more freedom to go out there and express yourself.

‘You can be yourself. He doesn’t put you in a box. That’s been the outstanding thing about this team.’

Erasmus has stated from the outset that transformation is one of the team’s primary goals. Within the side, however, there’s a feeling that every player has been picked on merit. The results certainly suggest that South Africa are doing something right.

‘To me and everyone in this team, it doesn’t really matter in terms of your skin colour or where you come from,’ Mbonambi explained. ‘Rassie will pick a guy to do a job and to work hard.

‘Previous coaches would go the route of picking someone who has been there for years, even though you could see that the player was no longer pulling his weight. Now you get picked by the work that you do and how you execute.’

COLUMN: Rassie should make bold selection calls

The Boks have relied heavily on their forwards and defence over the course of this World Cup campaign. While their style of play has been criticised by some, the Boks believe that their plan will improve their chances of winning the tournament.

‘We’ve come into this tournament with a very specific plan, to play to South Africa’s strengths,’ said Proudfoot. ‘When you get alignment and a collective buy-in to a plan, as we have done, you can be very, very powerful.

‘That’s been the big change over the past two years, the mindset that Rassie has created across the group. He’s empowered individuals to take ownership of their roles and to play the South African way.

‘The players have picked up some confidence now and it’s important that they go out and execute against Wales this Sunday.’

ALSO READ: ‘Wales are a team with X factor’

Steve Haag Sports via Hollywoodbets

Posted in News, Springboks, Test Rugby, Top headlines, World Cup Tagged 2019 Rugby World Cup, 2019 World Cup, Bongi Mbonambi, Matt Proudfoot, Rassie Erasmus, semi-final, Springboks, Wales, World Cup

Post by Jon Cardinelli

Jon Cardinelli

Check out Blackout Rugby Manager HERE!

← Previous Next →

Sevens’ party falls flat

World Rugby shouldn’t have messed with a winning sevens formula, writes SIMON...

Draining format clogs Blitzboks’ blockage

A protracted schedule took the wind out of South Africa's sails at...

England cut Eddie, Razor to stop the bleeding

England have made the rash decision to part ways with coach Eddie...

Rassie ref hom in die rooi

Rassie Erasmus is hardly the embarrassment that some are making him out...

Cut and paste Kurt-Lee for Kolbe

Kurt-Lee Arendse ticks all the right boxes to replace the injured Cheslin...

Rassie auditions for England job

Rassie Erasmus has made the most calculated of public job applications to...

Boks need to make mentality adjustment

The Springboks need to lose their underdog mentality, writes SIMNIKIWE XABANISA in...

Kolbe’s worth every penny

Cheslin Kolbe’s big-money move to Toulon should be welcomed as a massive...

‘Bok gameplan, when executed correctly, is hard to match’

The opportunity to play against the All Blacks is a career highlight...

Five key areas the Boks need to dominate for first victory

SA Rugby magazine highlights five crucial areas the Boks will need to...

Top six: Best and worst foreign imports

SARugbymag.co.za identifies six of the best and worst foreign players to play...

Column: When context is needed

As highlighted by the Argentina controversy, ‘cancel culture’ needs a spoonful of...

Dark cloud hangs over WP Rugby

The problems at Western Province Rugby are layered, and everyone involved needs...

From the mag: Foreign Favourites

As Vodacom Super Rugby turned 25 this year, JON CARDINELLI picks an...

Bulls rookies to watch

After a massive exodus of players the Vodacom Bulls will be eager...

Analysis: The new suffocate-and-strangle game

For the Boks to emerge as World Cup winners, they need to...

VIEW MORE
  • Bonus-point Bulls douse Dragons
  • Munster maul luckless Lions
  • Stormers sign off 2022 in style
  • Sharks carve Bulls on New Year’s Eve

Jacques Burger’s Perfect XV

    BKT United Rugby Championship, Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland 8/1/2023 Glasgow Warriors vs DHL Stormers Stormers' Damian Willemse Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Craig Watson
  • Highlights: Heartbreak for Stormers in Glasgow thriller

###


COVID-19 Corona Virus
South African Resource Portal

African Insider
African Insider News

ABOUT

  • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Videos
  • Player Features
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy

TOURNAMENTS

    • Rugby Championship
    • Super Rugby
    • Currie Cup
    • Varsity Cup
    • Gold Cup
    • Schools
    • Six Nations
    • Champions Cup
    • World Cup
    • Challenge Cup

OPINION

  • Mallett on SuperSport
  • Cardinelli column
  • Lewis column
  • Xabanisa column
  • Borchardt column
  • Superbru

Primary Menu

  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER