Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus praised both his side and New Zealand after the teams produced a stunning Test match in their Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Though New Zealand were in control for three quarters of the match, the Springboks reeled off an incredible come-from-behind victory to run out 31-27 winners.
The Springboks produced a mostly error-strewn performance for much of the encounter, but in the final 12 minutes they were able to somehow find an extra gear to overturn a 10-point deficit to seal the victory.
Erasmus cut a particularly jubilant figure after the match and in his inimitable way with words, managed to praise both sides for the spectacle they produced in front of a packed house in the heart of Johannesburg.
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‘We snuck in at the end’
“I feel proud. New Zealand can feel sad because it was such a great game. They really controlled it for most of the game. We snuck in at the end but that shows character against a team like New Zealand. Well done to them, and well done to our guys as well,” said Erasmus.
The contributions of some of the elder statesmen in the Springbok squad like Willie le Roux and Handre Pollard helped immensely, revealed Erasmus.
“This is how you learn what a guy is made of. [Aphelele] Fassi was fantastic. The way Willie helped him during the week, how Handre helped Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu]. There are other examples. We will lose some matches, but as long as we have this character against a team like New Zealand.
“It wasn’t me half time, it was the players. It was the guys making plans and seeing we were under the pump and just making lots of mistakes with our exits.”