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'He's trying to put pressure on referees externally... they don't need coaches doing what he is doing'

By Online Editors
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen (Photo by Getty Images)

New Zealand boss Steve Hansen has accused South Africa counterpart Rassie Erasmus of trying to pressure referees into preferential treatment towards the Springboks.

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Back-to-back reigning world champions New Zealand will launch the defence of the Webb Ellis Cup by taking on South Africa in Yokohama on Saturday.

Springboks head coach Erasmus this week insisted New Zealand have for years received soft officiating as referees entered matches with the “preconceived idea” that the All Blacks would win.

A frustrated Hansen offered a withering assessment of Erasmus’s comments, hoping that French official Jerome Garces will not be swayed by the Springbok influence.

“It’s pretty obvious what they are trying to do; whilst I have a lot of respect for South Africa and Rassie, I don’t agree with what he’s doing,” said Hansen.

(Continue reading below…)

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“He’s trying to put pressure on the referees externally, and they are under enough pressure already. They don’t need coaches to be doing what he’s doing.

“It doesn’t matter who is the ref, as a coach or as a team… you can always find things after a game that they didn’t do and you can get emotional about it and think they are taking it out on you and not the opposition. We’ve done it ourselves.

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“But at the end of the day, they go out to do the best they can do. Yes, they don’t get it right all they time, and we have suffered from that. But it’s just like other teams. It’s a big game and we just need to let the referee get on with it.”

Asked if he would hope the World Cup officials are strong-willed enough to ignore any such influence, Hansen added: “Well, they are not stupid people at all, so you’d like to hope so. That’s all I can say about that really.”

Beauden Barrett will start at full-back for New Zealand’s Pool B opener against the in-form Springboks. The 28-year-old slots into the 15 shirt to accommodate attacking playmaker Richie Mo’unga at flyhalf, with stellar full-back Ben Smith taking a seat on the bench.

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Ryan Crotty starts at inside centre with the back-to-back world champion All Blacks boasting three hugely-talented playmakers in their starting backline. Sonny Bill Williams takes a seat on the bench, with Anton Lienert-Brown partnering Crotty in the centres from the off.

Sevu Reece will make his World Cup debut on his fourth cap, with fellow wing George Bridge featuring in just his sixth Test match. Matt Todd has a sore shoulder, so Shannon Frizell steps up to take a seat on the bench.

Hansen backed star centre Williams to step off the bench and hand the All Blacks an extra dimension – just as he did in the 2015 final when New Zealand defeated Australia 34-17 to retain the crown they had lifted in 2011. “Sonny hasn’t played much over the last six weeks so he will give us something different off the bench. He will bring us something different.

“It’s a great opportunity that is similar to what he did in the final four years ago. I don’t think we have got a No1 starting XV, we have got a group of 23 players we will use depending on who we’re playing. We will chop and change, that was our point in selecting our 31. We wanted the ability to do different things with different people.”

– Press Association 

WATCH: Neil Back reflects on England’s 2003 triumph in the first episode of the new RugbyPass series, Rugby World Cup Memories

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Bull Shark 52 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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