Springboks bank on experience for the next match against All Blacks

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says that while the Springboks have their backs against the wall, they have been in similar situations and now they need to fight their way out of it.

Erasmus announced his side to face New Zealand in the second test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Cape Town on Saturday, less than 48 hours after the Boks lost 33-16 to the All Blacks in the first test in Johannesburg.

The double World Cup winning coach has brought back Handre Pollard at flyhalf, and Siya Kolisi, if he makes it through training this week.

The first test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry saw the Springboks’ plans unravel as the match wore on.

The starters could not convert and the impact players got thrown into a situation that grew increasingly more hopeless.

Erasmus has taken responsibility but is haunted by the stats of the breakdown, which he knew all along would make or break the first test.

“We didn’t get what we want from the bench because the guys who started didn’t convert when we were there and when we were inside the 22 we had eleven 22 metre entries and we got one reward from it now that is good defense by New Zealand great breakdown work by New Zealand and poor execution by us.

So, if the guys who started and I am including coaches there because me personally I made some wrong calls on some of the tactics we wanted to do inside their own 22,” says Erasmus.

The Bok coach has vowed to fix things in the few training sessions he has at his disposal.

“It is difficult solutions so it is things that you must sort out quickly in three training sessions and we will start today, we will start today,” Erasmus added.

The Boks have been hamstrung before on the way to some of their biggest achievements and they will use those experiences to get back into this current series.

“It is not a good position to be in.

I can spin it as I want to, we know our backs are against the wall the one thing that I can say we have been in this position many a times we have been together for ten years nine years and most of the squad we have lost the first pool games.

We have lost the first games in the Lions series but that does not make it easier.