After the All Blacks, it’s the Springboks for Wales as the toughest of openings to any autumn series continues at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. South Africa will have their controversial kingpin Rassie Erasmus back in their corner, which will be prove crucial according to Springbok legend Gary Teichmann, as he tells Graham Thomas.
Gary Teichmann believes the return of controversial South African supremo Rassie Erasmus will give the Springboks a crucial edge against Wales on Saturday.
Former Newport hero Teichmann – who played alongside Erasmus in the Boks’ back row – reckons the presence of South Africa’s outspoken director of rugby will prove a big boost to the tourists.
Erasmus will be in the coaches’ box at the Principality Stadium when Wales host their second match of the autumn series, extended highlights of which will be shown by S4C after the game.
It will be a return to the fold for Erasmus, who missed the Rugby Championship matches held in Australia as he prepared his case for a misconduct hearing held by World Rugby.
That hearing – into an alleged breach of the code of conduct following an hour-long video criticising match officials on the British and Irish Lions tour – was held last weekend, but the outcome has yet to be announced.
“Rassie coming back into the fold is good news for the Springboks,” says Teichmann, who will watch the intriguing Test match back home in Durban.
“He will get the focus right and bring more consistency to the Springboks’ recent performances.
“I am a big fan of Rassie. He has an extremely good connection with the players and has this amazing ability to bring the best out of them.
“What he achieved at the World Cup, in a short space of time, was incredible. It was not a challenge than many other people would have taken on.
“I am a huge fan and he will now want to be growing depth and testing some of the guys who haven’t played much Test rugby.”
World Cup winner Erasmus – the man who outfoxed Eddie Jones and England in the 2019 final – may be a national hero in South Africa, but he is a divisive figure further afield.
He was heavily slated for running on the field as a pep-talking water boy during the Lions series this summer and then ignited fury and condemnation for posting a 64-minute “analysis” of the performance of referee Nic Berry.
But Teichmann insists Erasmus was well within his rights to highlight what the former No.8 believes were clear errors by the official.
“The scary part was that none of his claims could really be dismissed as 50-50 calls,” says Teichmann, who was South Africa’s most successful ever captain when he joined Newport in 1999.
“I think his assessment was pretty accurate, although I didn’t break every decision down as closely as he did.
“It was unfortunate that World Rugby and the referees didn’t respond to him and the whole thing was eventually played out in public.
“Often you can debate decisions and say the ref was right or wrong there and there are arguments on both sides. But I think the bottom line is that Rassie was quite right in the points he made. They were clear calls.”
But although he’s an admirer of Erasmus, Teichmann was left unimpressed by the rugby served up by the Springboks in their turgid series against the Lions.
Nor was he thrilled by his countrymen’s grim World Cup semi-final victory over Wales two years ago in Japan.
“That World Cup semi-final was a shocking game of rugby. Both sides just kicked the ball away.”
But the 54-year-old remains impressed by the way the current Springboks can seem to flick a switch and turn from a grim kick-dominated outfit, into a much more free-flowing and attack-minded team.
“They seem to get into a certain way of playing, but still then be capable of suddenly turning things around – from kicking to running.
“But in the last game against New Zealand there was a much better balance between kicking correctly and keeping the ball in hand. Then, all the good stuff you get from Springbok rugby – the physicality and the passion – you get to build that on top.
“Under Warren Gatland, there was a lot of kicking with the Wales team and that’s not necessarily the best way for a Wales team to play.
“I’m hoping they can go back to the more attacking game they played a few years ago, stringing out the phases which Wales has always been renowned for.
“They will be hurting from that result last week and they will be wanting to come back strongly against the world champions.”
One thing that brought a smile to Teichmann’s face was the fielding of an entire back row from Rodney Parade last week, when Wales picked the Dragons’ trio of Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham and Aaron Wainwright against the All Blacks.
The former Black and Ambers captain, who lifted the Principality Cup with Newport as their inspirational skipper in 2001, enthuses: “It was nice to hear that the guys from Newport are being recognised.
“I think I played against Moriarty’s father, Paul. He was a really tough character.
“I’ve got very fond memories of my time in Newport and it’s good to see the guys from there stepping up to international rugby.
🗣️”Taine was our man of the match… A young guy whose confidence will go through the roof… He’s now an extra player we have at this level…”
Pivac’s high praise for @dragonsrugby ⭐️ Basham 🙌
Not bad for a first Test start! 🤯#BringYourFire🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZqmMxzPPZ3
— Dragons (@dragonsrugby) October 31, 2021
“I still recall with a lot of affection my time there and especially the people. They were incredibly supportive and I’ll never forget the time we lifted the Principality Cup in 2001.
“It was amazing to see how much it meant to the whole town. I’ll remember that noise forever. It will be exciting to see the Dragons up against the Sharks this season.”
S4C: Saturday, 8.30pm – Wales v South Africa.
Extended highlights of the match between Wales and South Africa in the Autumn Nations Series from the Principality Stadium.