Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says the team’s greatest motivation is continuing to make South Africans proud, both at home and those who travel around the world to support the national side.
Erasmus was speaking after the Springboks defeated the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore on Saturday to claim the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title and complete a 3-1 series victory.
The win also ensured that South Africa retained its position at the top of the world rankings.
The Springboks have now defeated New Zealand in three consecutive Tests, but Erasmus says the team does not take the achievement or the support from fans for granted.
“It’s awesome to play all over the world and there’s so many South Africans that support us wherever we play. We really appreciate the South Africans who were here although I don’t know how they afforded it, and we never forget about the people at home,” Erasmus said.
A crowd of 68,173 packed into M&T Bank Stadium for the historic encounter, with large numbers of supporters dressed in the iconic green and gold.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said the presence of the travelling supporters made the occasion even more special.
South Africa crossed the try line six times through Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom.
New Zealand responded with four tries from Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder and Beauden Barrett.
The result completed a remarkable turnaround in the series after the All Blacks won the opening Test before the Springboks responded with three consecutive victories.
Hanekom’s late try effectively put the result beyond doubt and secured the series win for South Africa.
The victory also marked a significant milestone for Erasmus, who oversaw his 100th Test involving the Springboks since becoming part of the national setup in 2018 as both head coach and director of rugby.
It was a particularly fitting achievement given that his first Test as Springbok head coach ended in defeat to Wales in Washington DC in 2018.
Eight years later, Erasmus has helped guide South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles and another historic series victory over New Zealand.
Reflecting on his history in the United States, Erasmus said the country held mixed memories for him.
“I like America and I didn’t know that there are so many South Africans this side. The first time here was awful when we lost to Wales, but a couple of years later we managed to win against a great team,” he said.