Rassie continues to lead tactical evolution

LOVE it or hate it, head coach Rassie Erasmus will continue to innovate as the Springboks look to find the smallest edge on the rugby field to take their game to the next level against opponents.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

On Saturday, Erasmus made the rugby world notice his ingenuity again, as the Boks conjured up two different tactical plays in the clash against Italy in Ggeberha that caught many off guard.

The first was a short kickoff to generate a scrum shortly after the game started and this is the little bit of innovation that blew up on X (formerly Twitter) with pundits and couch critics tearing into the Boks for finding another way to bend rugby’s laws.

While they've found a new reason to moan about the world champions, South African supporters have been lapping this up.

It’s special to witness the out-of-the-box thinking of coaches in an ever-evolving sport.

Traditionalists will cling to things staying the same in rugby, but to keep the game relevant and draw engagement, these innovations are needed.