Rassie Erasmus sends message to Springboks players after All Blacks loss
Rugby NewsSunday, 23 August 2026 at 16:40
Rassie Erasmus has told his Springboks players there is a “lot of things to put right” after South Africa were comprehensively beaten by New Zealand in the opening Test of their four-match series.
The back-to-back world champions led 16-12 early in the second half at Ellis Park, but the contest quickly swung away from them.
New Zealand scored 21 unanswered points to seal an impressive 33-16 victory, with the Springboks also seeing two players sent to the sin-bin late on.
The defeat brought South Africa’s 12-match winning run — their longest under Erasmus — to a shuddering end and leaves them needing to win the remaining three Tests if they are to claim the series.
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Erasmus responds to All Blacks defeat
Despite the manner of the defeat, Erasmus remained relatively level-headed as attention immediately turned towards the second Test in Cape Town.
“We have been in many catastrophic situations in our lives,” said Erasmus.
“We lost the first Test against the British & Irish Lions [in 2021] and everyone said it was a catastrophe.
“We lost the first pool game against New Zealand in the World Cup [in 2019] and everyone said that was catastrophic, so we have been in a lot of catastrophic situations.
“We’re now in a position where if we want to win the series we have to win three games on the trot. So, without doubt, it puts them in a very good position which they thoroughly deserve.
“Now we have to go to Cape Town and try and win there. If we do, it’s all level, but we still have to win three matches in a row. I wouldn’t say it’s catastrophic because there is a way out, and that’s winning three matches on the trot.”
‘We were thoroughly beaten’
The victory also saw the All Blacks replace South Africa at the top of the world rankings, and Erasmus had no complaints about which team deserved to win.
“We were thoroughly beaten by a team that is now No 1 in the world – it’ll be nice to go into the next game as the underdogs,” he said.
“I think we were dominant in the scrums, but it doesn’t help you if you’re dominant in one or two parts of the game. The All Blacks were more dominant in most parts of the game.
“I’m not going to butter it up with that cliché and say we’re going to learn from this and get better. We didn’t need to learn from this; we knew what we had to do on the day – we didn’t do it.”
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Five Springboks who FLOPPED against the All Blacks – and who should replace them
Here are five Springboks who struggled at Ellis Park – and the changes Erasmus should consider making.
5. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
There were flashes from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, particularly as the first half progressed and the Springbok pack began to take control.
He challenged the All Blacks defence with some dangerous carries and offloads, but there was simply too much looseness in his game.
On an occasion that demanded South Africa's chief playmaker take control, Feinberg-Mngomezulu never truly managed it.
His move to full-back during the second half didn't help matters either. His defence was exposed when Damian McKenzie powered through him during a dangerous New Zealand break shortly before the hour mark.
Try as he might, Feinberg-Mngomezulu simply couldn't get going.
Replacement: Handre Pollard
This feels like the obvious change.
Pollard was left out of the matchday 23 for the opening Test despite being included in South Africa's wider squad.
The double Rugby World Cup winner offers exactly what South Africa lacked at Ellis Park: control, experience and an ability to manage the biggest occasions.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu remains an enormous talent, but Erasmus could turn back to his proven number 10 for Test two.
4. Grant Williams
Williams had some good moments, but unfortunately his mistakes proved costly.
He was left trying to cover too much space alongside Paul de Villiers for New Zealand's opening try, eventually giving one of the most lethal finishers in Test rugby, Will Jordan, slightly too much room.
The bigger mistake arrived shortly after half-time.
Williams was charged down by Fabian Holland, who gathered the loose ball and scored to put New Zealand back in front.
From there, the pressure increased before Williams was eventually shifted to the wing around the hour mark.
Williams remains arguably South Africa's first-choice scrum-half right now, but this was a performance containing more bad moments than good.
Replacement: Bring back Faf de Klerk
Could Erasmus make a huge call and bring Faf de Klerk back into the picture?
South Africa have moved towards Williams and their next generation of scrum-halves, but a four-Test series against the All Blacks is exactly the sort of environment in which De Klerk has traditionally thrived.
His experience, kicking game and relentless pressure around the breakdown could give the Springboks something different.
After what happened at Ellis Park, the debate over a potential recall isn't going away.
3. Eben Etzebeth
Etzebeth looked to have made the dream start inside the opening minute when he charged down Cam Roigard, only for referee Matthew Carley to penalise him for offside.
Another penalty followed soon afterwards for a high tackle, perhaps showing a little rust after his recent lack of rugby.
There were better moments.
His lineout steal late in the first half came as the Springboks were beginning to dominate physically, while he continued to attack the breakdown with his trademark aggression.
However, the numbers weren't what we've become accustomed to seeing from the giant lock.
Etzebeth carried only three times and wasn't nearly as influential defensively as South Africa would have wanted from one of their biggest names.
Verdict: Keep him in the team
Dropping Etzebeth after one below-par performance would be a massive overreaction.
He has earned more than enough credit to start again in the second Test and remains one of the most intimidating forwards in world rugby.
But competition in the Springbok pack is enormous.
Another quiet performance and suddenly his position might not look quite so untouchable.
2. Marco van Staden
Van Staden was introduced to give South Africa fresh energy around the breakdown as they attempted to regain control during the final quarter.
Instead, his biggest contribution was one Erasmus will want to forget.
The replacement flanker was shown a yellow card following a breakdown infringement just metres from his own line, leaving the Springboks short-handed at exactly the point they needed to produce a comeback.
South Africa eventually finished the contest with only 13 players after another yellow card followed.
Verdict: Keep him on the bench
There is no need for Erasmus to completely abandon Van Staden.
His breakdown ability remains valuable, particularly against an All Blacks side that wants quick ball.
However, he certainly hasn't done enough to force his way into the starting XV for the second Test.
1. Cobus Reinach
This was a nightmare cameo from one of South Africa's most experienced backs.
Reinach was introduced with the expectation that he would bring calmness and control to the closing stages.
Instead, he helped reduce South Africa to 13 men.
The scrum-half was shown a yellow card for an intentional knock-on following an All Blacks scrum, compounding an already difficult final quarter for the hosts.
For a player brought onto the field specifically because of his experience, it was an unforgivable mistake.
Replacement: Another reason to bring back Faf de Klerk
If Erasmus does consider recalling De Klerk, Reinach's performance has strengthened the argument.
The Springboks need composure at scrum-half and their replacement nine provided the exact opposite at Ellis Park.
Williams will undoubtedly remain heavily involved, but the door could now be open for Erasmus to reconsider his options behind the scrum
Rugby Quiz: Can you name the past 25 Springboks captains?
How well do you know the Springboks? South Africa have had some legendary leaders over the years, with some of the game's biggest names taking on the responsibility of captaining the current world champions.
Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.
But how many of their last 25 captains can you remember? Test your rugby knowledge and see if you can name every player to have led the Springboks in their most recent appearances.
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