Rassie Erasmus has said the Springboks “basically killed our dreams” in the Nations Championship by losing 21-19 to France in Paris.
It was the Springboks’ first defeat in the new competition. They remain top of the southern hemisphere table on 21 points, but New Zealand are one point behind with two games left to the Boks’ one.
Erasmus was asked about France’s choice to kick to the corner rather than for the posts. His answer turned to his own side’s chances.
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READ MORE: France vs South Africa match report and full stats: Les Bleus hold on 21-19
‘Killed our dreams’
“I think, you know, if we scored one more try, we would have got five points from this game and we would have been in the run,” Erasmus said.
“I think we’ve basically killed our dreams … tonight with this performance and not getting the win and the four tries.”
The Springboks scored three tries to France’s three. They trailed 21-7 at the break, then scored through Cobus Reinach and Malcolm Marx while France did not score. Manie Libbok’s conversion of Marx’s late try missed.
He said France may also have been “in that mindset of getting four tries and trying to top the Northern League”. France now lead the northern hemisphere table.
What the Nations Championship table says
The table backs him up. Only the side that tops each hemisphere table reaches the final at Twickenham on 29 November.
The Springboks have one game left, against Ireland in Dublin, so the most they can finish on is 26 points. New Zealand play Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and England after that. Two All Blacks wins would take them to at least 28.
The finals weekend runs from 27 to 29 November.
READ MORE: Rassie Erasmus: ‘We sort of played ourselves into that hole’
‘We know what we need to fix’
Erasmus said France’s lineout drives near the line drained his side. “It took a lot of energy out of us,” he said.
He stopped short of judging France’s calls. “I’m not in their change room,” he said.
Captain Siya Kolisi pointed to the chances the Boks left out wide in the first half.
“If you create so many opportunities, don’t take as many in the game with a team like this, you’re not going to get the win,” Kolisi said. “So yeah, we know what we need to fix.”
READ MORE: Rassie Erasmus: front-row switch had ‘an eye on the World Cup’
Watch Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi’s full post-match press conference after France 21-19 South Africa:
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