Eramus says world rugby needs a ‘strong Wales’
Autumn international: Wales v South Africa
Place: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday November 29 To start up: 15:10 GMT
Blanket: Listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru; Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
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South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus, a two-time World Cup winner, says world football needs a strong Wales.
The world champions arrive in Cardiff this weekend having won the Rugby Championship – and as the top-ranked team in the world for the third year in a row.
By contrast, Welsh rugby is in disarray on and off the field, with an alarming decline over the past two years, with the senior men’s team losing 20 of their last 22 tests.
“We need a strong Welsh team, they just have the tradition of loving to play,” Erasmus said.
Contrasting fortunes of Wales and South Africa
During Warren Gatland’s first term in office, Wales competed regularly and even beat South Africa.
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In 2019, Wales were beaten 19-16 in the World Cup semi-final by the Springboks in Japan.
Three years later, former head coach Wayne Pivac masterminded a historic first away victory in the Welsh men’s senior test against South Africa in Bloemfontein.
Wales have since slipped to 11th in the world, while the domestic game faces major upheaval with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) planning to eliminate one of four existing professional teams.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the Welsh system, I don’t understand the politics, what works and what doesn’t work,” Erasmus said.
“Whatever happens off the field, you [Wales] have the courage, the players and the will.
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“I know that deep down in the belly of the Welsh people there is a fight and somewhere it will happen.
“There’s something about the Welsh. There aren’t many people here but if you go out [in Wales]you see things from South Africa.
“Not everyone is rich and lives a fantastic life, but they manage to be successful.”
How Wales once upset Erasmus
Erasmus highlighted the occasions when Wales got the better of him during his international career as a player and manager.
“I played the opening match at the Millennium Stadium in 1999 and they beat us,” Erasmus said.
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“It was the first time we lost to the Welsh and Mark Taylor crushed me.
“My first game as head coach was against the Welsh in Washington in 2018 and we lost. Then the next game here in Cardiff we lost again.
“At the 2019 World Cup, in the semi-finals, only three points made the difference.”
Former flanker Erasmus may have been part of the Springbok team Wales beat in 1999 in Cardiff, but he was also part of the team that inflicted a record 96-13 defeat on Wales the previous year.
Many pundits are predicting a heavy Welsh defeat this weekend given the gulf between the two teams, but the Springboks coach is not expecting a repeat of 27 years ago in Pretoria.
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“I don’t remember much about that 1998 game, but the next year they beat us, that’s how crazy it is,” Erasmus said.
“It was a depleted Welsh team, a bit like a B team with a lot of injuries. I don’t think it’s going to be anything like that this weekend, it’s going to be difficult.
“What do these guys have to lose? Apart from stepping up, putting a marker down and saying ‘here we are’ against the Springboks.
“That’s what this Wales team is going to do. Steve Tandy [Wales head coach] it looks like it brings the structures together. We won’t underestimate Wales.”
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Wales will fight like hell
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi led the Springboks to victory against Wales in Cardiff in 2023 and 2024. [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
The match takes place outside the World Rugby international window, meaning Wales and South Africa are missing players who have returned to their clubs.
South Africa is without world players of the year Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handre Pollard and Cheslin Kolbe.
Unlike Wales, who are missing 13 players based in England and France, South Africa have considerable depth.
Flanker Siya Kolisi captains a team including number eight Jasper Wiese, center Damian de Allende, full-back Damian Willemse and star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The Springboks bench has more caps (374) than the entire Wales team (306).
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“Our starting team is an experienced team, the average age is 27.28 years old and the average caps are close to 40,” Erasmus said.
“Their caps are around 11. It could either be a very energetic Welsh team that doesn’t give up and fights like hell and surprises us.
“Or we can achieve it if we have the right mindset and possibly try to come out on the scoreboard.
“We hope to win the game and go home with our heads held high, but the Welsh will try to stop us.”
Merit in this match – Erasmus
The match has been criticized, particularly as it clashes with a weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) matches, with Welsh and South African national teams involved in championship action.
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“I think there is a place for us for games outside the window,” Erasmus said.
“This game against Wales, a lot of people might say it’s a dead rubber. But it’s a cap for the Springbok players.
“With Wales, I saw the stadium, the way they entertain and the group is there. It’s something a player cherishes.
“Even though people might say it’s a bad Wales team and it’s a second-tier South African team, which I’m not saying, it’s still a Test selection.
While the Wales team is made up solely of players from its four professional teams, Erasmus has released some players to their franchises.
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He says this affected his selection and forced him to have seven attackers on the bench.
“I don’t think we expected to have seven strikers on the bench against Wales,” Erasmus said.
“In fact, they are the only guys available after talking with the franchises, it is almost imposed on us.
“This is the chance we were willing to take for our franchises to get off to a good start in the URC. We want our teams to win at this level.”
A crucial path for South Africa’s success
Erasmus has the luxury of a stunning South African force in depth with 49 players used in test matches this year.
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As Wales seeks to reform its failing system, Erasmus highlights the success of the South African model.
“The first thing is we have a lot of people in South Africa,” Erasmus said.
“Sixty million people and we have 450,000 rugby players in our country.
“It’s very important to get your bearings right. You have to thank the SARU (South African Rugby Union). They have appointed Dave Wessels, who is linking the rugby plans.
“They have introduced elite player development programs and it starts from the under-15 level. We identify the players and they are entered into the database. We start ranking them and drawing up roadmaps for them.
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“All cultures buy into it and it can become a stepping stone, so we’re lucky.”
South Africa is also blessed with a rugby genius in Erasmus who is rewriting the coaching manual for the game.
Erasmus, 53, has shown he is capable of rejuvenating his Springboks team to continue pushing the limits.
Wales will be hoping they don’t inspire South Africa to new heights in Cardiff this Saturday.
