Rassie Erasmus on how Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies kept Springboks ‘guessing’

Two-time Rugby World Cup winner Rassie Erasmus has praised opposition coach Joe Schmidt while explaining how the Wallabies kept the Springboks “guessing” during Saturday’s one-sided Test in Brisbane.

South Africa snapped their Suncorp Stadium hoodoo with a scintillating 33-7 demolition of Australia. The Wallabies were never really in the contest as the defending world champions delivered blow after blow during an 80-minute annihilation.

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi peeled off a maul to score the opening try of the contest just before the 10-minute mark. The visitors had dominated the possession and territory battles up until that point, and that continued throughout the half.

Willie le Roux butchered what appeared to be a certain try-scoring opportunity midway through the 40-minute period, but Pieter-Steph du Toit made amends with a try of his own about five minutes later. Kurt-Lee Arendse also scored before the end of the first term.

The Springboks piled on another two tries after the break to Kwagga Smith and Arendse as they ran away to a 33-nil lead. Hunter Paisami had the last laugh with Australia’s only try late in the piece but the world champs had taken the foot off the gas by that stage.

There were thousands of Springboks fans at the Brisbane venue, and they all left smiling, cheering and celebrating as their team won a Test at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 2013. It was one-way traffic but Erasmus was still complimentary of the Wallabies.

“I can’t talk for Joe but they’re certainly, this I can tell you, he’s busy building something,” Rassie Erasmus told reporters after the statement victory.

“We’re not 100 per cent sure and we as players and as coaches and as a management team, we were saying, ‘Listen, let’s try and find out exactly which way they are going.’

“They had us guessing because I’m not 100 per cent sure if they’re going to run now, if they’re going to kick now. Yes, the game went our way but none of us can tell you that this is exactly how Australia play currently and maybe that’s part of Joe’s plan.”

Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa have all fallen to agonising defeats at Suncorp Stadium in recent times.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Allan Alaalatoa both described the stadium as a “fortress” before the Test. The Wallabies had won the last four meetings against the Springboks there but that came to a decisive end in The Rugby Championship.

It’s an important milestone for the Springboks. The next Rugby World Cup will be here in Australia, and the South Africans will look to become the first men’s team to complete a hat-trick of consecutive titles at the sport’s showpiece event.

Erasmus made it clear that while the Boks are firmly focused on the present, they have “an eye on the future” as well. That World Cup is still three and a half years away, but the two-time reigning champions can still take immense confidence out of this fixture.

“I don’t think we turned anything around. A week is a very long time in rugby and we’ve lost 57-nil to New Zealand and then the next weekend we lost by two points at Newlands,” Erasmus explained.

“I do think Australia, you guys are doing brilliant at the Olympics… we know the next World Cup is here so they’re definitely getting the momentum and Joe Schmidt’s a brilliant coach and I was certainly very nervous because I never knew what Joe will be cooking up.

“He’s only had four games with the guys. Next week it will be better and next week it will be tougher and next week we play at a different venue.

“Yes, we’re definitely looking at the future without looking too far ahead because the present then bites you.

“For me, the nicest thing… the fact that the players understand that and that some guys stand back a little bit, help a little bit, grow a little bit, help the youngsters a little bit because some of the youngsters are going to get some rude awakening as they go and become better players because (the) opposition gets tougher.

“Maybe (Marika) Koroibete is back next week and he slams one or two guys and they must handle it and then the big dogs must help them.

“Certainly, an eye on the future but staying in the present – trying to do both.”

The Springboks will take on the Wallabies for a second time in as many weeks when the two rivals clash at Perth’s Optus Stadium on August 17. It’s an intriguing fixture in the context of The Rugby Championship after Argentina stunned New Zealand on Saturday.