Rassie Erasmus has shed more light on the thinking behind backing embattled Manie Libbok to start in the Rugby Championship title decider against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Libbok and Jaden Hendrikse have been paired for the first time as the starting Bok halfbacks against Argentina in the title-decider at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
The world champions need only a point from the match to guarantee their first Rugby Championship title since 2019, and their first full tournament title since 2009. They will also clinch the title if Los Pumas win the match without a bonus point based on competition points.
Libbok came in for criticism after missing a last-minute penalty which would have given South Africa the lead going into the final play of last week’s defeat to the Argentinians in Santiago.
“In the team, we had a little laugh at some of the memes that have been going around,” Erasmus said, after naming the team.
“We see it as people who haven’t gone through that, haven’t felt that kind of pressure and don’t know how tough it is. We totally understand that people will criticise him and he takes it on the chin.
“We all, as the management and the coaching staff, take it on the chin. But the only way to get a guy like him through this is to get back on the horse and ride it until it is flat again.
“We have made some plans on the way we want to play and Manie’s role at 10 this week, and we have made some plans around goalkicking which will help people out.”
Erasmus said he understood the anger that fuelled much of the reaction as the Springboks missed the opportunity to wrap up the title with a week to go, after twice leading in Santiago del Estero.
“We totally understand that. When we play well, we take the credit and we smile and we’re happy and the guys love the positivity and our people praise them, we take that.
“So when we’re not playing well and when we’re not doing things as well, they surely have the right to criticise, especially if we did not put in all the effort in a specific game, which I did not think was last week’s case. I really thought Argentina played well.
“But then when it comes to individual things, if you take that game, Argentina missed three kicks at goal and we missed two at goal. So I think we missed four try-scoring opportunities, which is much worse than missing a kick like that.
“Manie, he’s a professional, we’re professionals, we’re all around him. And he’s starting again this weekend, getting another chance ahead of Handre [Pollard]. I think 18 World Cup-winning Springboks are part of the matchday 23.”
Erasmus added that it is up to the Springboks as a whole to ensure that Libbok’s strengths are highlighted, rather than putting him in situations that spotlight his flaws.
“Yes, I understand that Manie gets a lot of criticism. He understands that. All of us, coaches, players, hookers, referees, all of us have gone through a lot when you make a mistake.
“People think it’s all your fault. We are a bit more tense, because we think there were two tries we missed before Manie’s shot, which were easier than Manie’s shot.
“Manie is not chosen just because of the shot. That’s why we made plans around it, which will hopefully work on Saturday. And the way he plays, the way we think the Argentinians can play – the level that they are trying to play at. We understand 100 per cent how people feel and it’s our job to get it right, to help, and we’re doing it.
“I have to say, Manie never really lost a cup for us. You know, we didn’t lose the World Cup because of Manie. We didn’t lose the Freedom Cup because of Manie.
“We work around it and make sure it doesn’t become a crisis. What he brought to us is a natural game. And… look what he did to Scotland in the World Cup. It was a tight game and then he did this no-look kick to the winger to help us win.”
Photo: @Springboks/X
