Boks v All Blacks clash will be decided by BMT, says Erasmus

SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus says the Eden Park showdown on Saturday between the Springboks and the All Blacks will be won by the team that shows the superior Big Match Temperament (BMT).

- MIKE GREENAWAY

Erasmus, speaking after naming a side close to the one that beat the Wallabies in the Boks’ last Rugby Championship outing, said the contest is almost too tight to call.

“Every point will count, so we need to be sharp mentally and physically, and ensure that we leave nothing out on the field,” Erasmus said.

“It will be about belief in the vital moments. In the last few years, it has been one or two points between the teams almost every game. It is about who best handles the decisions that have to be made when the pressure is at its toughest.

“I can’t pinpoint one or two things that will sway it, because that is not how a game like this will pan out.”

The sides are so evenly matched that Erasmus delayed his team announcement until Thursday, rather than the usual Monday or Tuesday, in an effort to gain any possible advantage.