Erasmus hails brave, tough Italy after Springboks victory
But Italy dominated the second half, scoring three tries to two as their inexperienced team, lacking many resting first choices, left Loftus Versfeld with their pride intact.
"Give Italy credit, they really buckled down. They left some big names at home, they were without several stars, while we had experienced men playing," said Erasmus.
"We expected it to be a down-in-the-gutter fight, we knew they would man up and they certainly did, in all departments.
"We tried to impose our game, but they just would not allow it. They defended very well, they were certainly gutsy and they turned up the heat in the second half.
"We would have different guys knocking-on, we missed lineout jumps and throws, and there were just a helluva lot of mistakes.
"I would love to pinpoint why, but luckily it is all fixable. The first 10 minutes of the second half were very stop-start and we just did not feel we could get our intensity.
'Concern'
"We tried to get our speed up but there were so many stoppages, and after those breaks, Italy switched on immediately, which we could not do, which is obviously a concern.
"Italy threw a lot of physicality at us, they made 130 tackles in the first half but did not break in the second half, which shows they are very fit and passionate.
"But our physicality and intensity were not where they should have been. It was very frustrating after the week went well, us coaches felt the team were into it, they were nice and physical," added Erasmus.
Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada said with so many old heads back at home, his team had to show plenty of courage to spoil the more experienced Springboks' plans.
"We have 17 players not here so it was very important for us to be brave and fully commit to a big game in defence," the former Argentina fly-half said.
"Our really excellent 'jackals' had to recover balls and stop their attacks, and we also had to stop their carries from hurting as much as they can.
"I am so proud because the Springboks came hard at us and we showed a lot of effort and commitment. I am proud for a huge amount of reasons.
"Maybe we did not believe enough in ourselves in the first half and did not try the things we prepared. So the players were made aware at half-time that they could do much better.
"The way our leaders handled the second half was really critical and our 'grenade squad' did really well when it came off the bench.
"I am very happy that we did not concede a try from the mauls because that is one of the Springboks' strengths," Quesada added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
Wiaan Mulder: slow ascent to Test cricket's batting heights
Mulder made 367 not out for South Africa in the second Test against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club before deciding –- in his first match as captain –- to declare South Africa's innings on 626 for five at lunch on the second day. He was just 33 runs short of Brian Lara's record of 400 not out for West Indies against England in 2003/04. Given the rate at which he scored his runs, off 334 balls, Mulder might not have needed much more than half an hour to climb to Test cricket's batting pinnacle. He raced past Hashim Amla's previous best for South Africa –- 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012 –- and climbed to fifth on the world list before his declaration. Mulder, 27, made his Test debut in February 2019 but did not score his first half-century until his 25th innings in his 15th match -– 54 against Bangladesh in Mirpur last October. Before that he had scored a total of 401 runs -– one more than Lara's single-innings record -– at an average of 17.43. Picked as an all-rounder, his bowling figures at that point were better than his returns with the bat, although they were not outstanding –- 25 wickets at an average of 25.00. He was not a guaranteed first-choice player for a South African team in search of a quality all-rounder until head coach Shukri Conrad, appointed in January 2023, gave him his unequivocal backing. The tide turned for Mulder after the half-century in Mirpur. He made 105 not out in his next innings in the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Batting promotion Having mainly batted low in the order –- his first century was made at number seven -- Conrad chose him to fill the crucial number three batting position in the Test side. He was out for five in his first innings at number three, against Pakistan in Cape Town in January, and struggled to six off 44 balls in the first innings of the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in England last month. But Mulder won praise for an enterprising 27 in the second innings as he and Aiden Markram laid a foundation for South Africa's successful chase of a challenging target of 282. Run out for 17 in the first innings of the first Test against Zimbabwe, he made a stylish 147 in the second innings, which proved a mere prelude to his effort in the second Test. Mulder grew up in a mining area west of Johannesburg and won a scholarship to St Stithians College, one of South Africa's leading private schools and the alma mater of Kagiso Rabada and, more recently, Ryan Rickelton and teenage prodigies Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka. An outstanding schoolboy cricketer, Mulder captained South African Schools and South Africa Under-19s. He made his first-class debut for the Gauteng Lions at 18, taking seven wickets in an innings in his second match and making his maiden century a week later. But the ascent to Test cricket's loftier heights took a little longer. On Monday he went past Len Hutton (364) and Garry Sobers (365 not out) -– two all-time greats who both held the record for the highest score for many years. Now, only Lara (twice), Matthew Hayden and Mahela Jayawardene have scored more runs in a Test innings. Mulder is in exalted company -– but given the poor quality of Zimbabwe's bowling attack there are doubtless many statisticians and Test cricket traditionalists who are grateful that he did not take the final steps to the summit. © 2025 AFP
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
Mulder makes highest South Africa Test score
Mulder, 27, was unbeaten on 367 at lunch in a South Africa total of 626 for five. Mulder went past the previous highest South African individual score of 311 not out set by Hashim Amla against England at The Oval in London in 2012. He went on to record the fifth-highest score in Test history in a list headed by Brian Lara's 400 not out for the West Indies against England in St John's, Antigua, in 2003/04. Resuming on 264 not out, Mulder became the second South African triple centurion, reaching the mark off 297 balls -– the second-fastest behind India's Virender Sehwag, who took 278 deliveries against South Africa in Chennai in 2007/08. Mulder, captaining South Africa for the first time, broke Amla's record with the third of three boundaries off four balls against Blessing Muzarabani. By lunch Mulder had faced 334 balls and hit 49 fours and four sixes off an increasingly dispirited and largely toothless Zimbabwe bowling attack. Brief scores: South Africa 626-5 in 114 overs (W. Mulder 367 not out, D. Bedingham 82, L. Pretorius 78, K. Verreynne 42 not out; T. Chivanga 2-112, K. Matigimu 2-120). Match situation: South Africa are 626 for five in the first innings. © 2025 AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Erasmus hails brave, tough Italy after Springboks victory
The Springboks, winners of the Rugby World Cup a record four times, controlled the first half, scoring four tries while conceding just a penalty for a 28-3 lead. But Italy dominated the second half, scoring three tries to two as their inexperienced team, lacking many resting first choices, left Loftus Versfeld with their pride intact. "Give Italy credit, they really buckled down. They left some big names at home, they were without several stars, while we had experienced men playing," said Erasmus. "We expected it to be a down-in-the-gutter fight, we knew they would man up and they certainly did, in all departments. "We tried to impose our game, but they just would not allow it. They defended very well, they were certainly gutsy and they turned up the heat in the second half. "We would have different guys knocking-on, we missed lineout jumps and throws, and there were just a helluva lot of mistakes. "I would love to pinpoint why, but luckily it is all fixable. The first 10 minutes of the second half were very stop-start and we just did not feel we could get our intensity. 'Concern' "We tried to get our speed up but there were so many stoppages, and after those breaks, Italy switched on immediately, which we could not do, which is obviously a concern. "Italy threw a lot of physicality at us, they made 130 tackles in the first half but did not break in the second half, which shows they are very fit and passionate. "But our physicality and intensity were not where they should have been. It was very frustrating after the week went well, us coaches felt the team were into it, they were nice and physical," added Erasmus. Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada said with so many old heads back at home, his team had to show plenty of courage to spoil the more experienced Springboks' plans. "We have 17 players not here so it was very important for us to be brave and fully commit to a big game in defence," the former Argentina fly-half said. "Our really excellent 'jackals' had to recover balls and stop their attacks, and we also had to stop their carries from hurting as much as they can. "I am so proud because the Springboks came hard at us and we showed a lot of effort and commitment. I am proud for a huge amount of reasons. "Maybe we did not believe enough in ourselves in the first half and did not try the things we prepared. So the players were made aware at half-time that they could do much better. "The way our leaders handled the second half was really critical and our 'grenade squad' did really well when it came off the bench. "I am very happy that we did not concede a try from the mauls because that is one of the Springboks' strengths," Quesada added.
