Rassie Erasmus refuses to nitpick Springboks' Italy second-half as Salmaan Moerat assessed

Coach Rassie Erasmus expressed satisfaction after the Springboks' convincing 66–7 victory over Italy in Turin on Saturday, but acknowledged that there is still plenty of room for improvement. The Boks' world champions put Italy to the sword with six tries before adding three more in the second half to create a 66-point cushion. Erasmus emphasized that while the first-half performance was exceptional, scoring 45 points in the opener, he was unhappy with the second-half display.

He stated, "It's almost impossible to put 80 minutes together at 100 percent. Obviously, we're not happy with the second half." The Italian team fought back despite being 45 points down, employing aggressive ball running and capitalizing on changes made by the Boks.

Erasmus highlighted the team's discipline, citing their one penalty conceded in the first half and finishing the match with only five penalties and five turnovers. He also praised the team's cohesion, noting that the players had been together for eight years and had gradually integrated new members like Ethan Hooker, 'Krappie' Morné van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ruan Nortje, Cameron Hanekom, and Thomas du Toit back into the squad.

Erasmus stated, "We've been able to bring people in here and there, and when you go to a game like this and pick a team that's match fit and ready, and everybody is calm and understands the system because we've been coaching them for a while, it's satisfying."

However, one injury concern loomed over the team. Lock Salmaan Moerat withdrew from the game due to back spasms sustained during the warm-up. Erasmus confirmed that Moerat's injury was not serious and expressed hope that it would not impact his long-term prospects. Lood de Jager replaced Moerat in the starting lineup, with Franco Mostert moving to the bench. The Springboks will fly to Paris the following evening, preparing for their crucial clash against France at the Stade de France.