How the split bench is dividing the game

WHEN Rassie Erasmus first opted for a 7-1 split on the bench against New Zealand at Twickenham before the 2023 World Cup, he described an initiative which has come to be decried as dangerous and bad for the game's image and load management.

- 

The All Blacks had just conceded their third try to go 21 points down when Erasmus unloaded his bench after 46 minutes: on came Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith and out went the lights.

Mbonambi and Smith scored tries to take the score to 35-0 before New Zealand finally scored late on and Erasmus had a template he has used regularly since, including the World Cup matches against Ireland when six of the above were deployed again along with Dean Fourie but the result was different, and the final against the All Blacks.

After the tournament, Erasmus, right, reflected on the near-miss against England in Paris when it took a late try by Snyman to take them to the final. He had gone for six forwards on the bench and felt he should have opted for an extra one having played France in the quarter-final six days before.

"The way we play is tax-ing on our forwards and we were a bit flat going into that England game," said Erasmus, who is now South Africa's head coach. "Having 7-1 allows you to split the load."

France deployed seven forwards on the bench in each of their last three matches in the Six Nations having gone for 6-2 in the opening two rounds a routine victory over Wales followed by a defeat to England at the Allianz Stadium that was partly self-inflicted.

"For me, a 6-2 split is the best performance tool," said France's forwards coach, William Servat. "Our substitutions did not add value against England and we needed to shift momentum more effectively."

France brought six of their forward replacements on before 10 minutes were up in the second half against Italy, Ireland and Scotland and dominated all three matches after the break.