Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Scotland v South Africa - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain - November 10, 2024 South Africa players huddle on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
LONDON (Reuters) -South Africa have their feet firmly on the ground ahead of a Rugby Championship "final" against Argentina in London on Saturday as they head into the tussle as heavy favourites having thumped their opponents 67-30 in Durban last weekend.
Coach Rassie Erasmus says there will be no complacency from his players despite scoring 110 points in their last two matches, including inflicting a heaviest ever test defeat on New Zealand with a 43-10 win in Wellington.
The results have sparked gushing praise from the media and fans, but Erasmus knows all too well that fortunes can fluctuate wildly.
"It's not the players who are talking themselves up and making a fuss about themselves," Erasmus told reporters in London after naming his team on Tuesday.
"It's (fans), we love the support and we appreciate the media and what they do, but the reality is we are playing against an Argentina team who will be hurting.
"And we know when we have been hurting, we pitch up the next week."
ATTACK TEETHING PROBLEMS
South Africa’s move to a more expansive game-plan this season under attack coach Tony Brown has not been without teething problems.
They raced into a 22-0 lead against Australia in Johannesburg but lost 38-22 as they crumbled in the second half.
Erasmus refutes the suggestion the players had been given too much freedom in attack, but admits it has been a voyage of discovery to move away from the Springboks’ traditional strengths.
"Since Tony has been with us, he's trying to find the balance (between attack and defence)," Erasmus said. "We are all obviously chasing the perfect game and Saturday wasn't it. Sixty minutes into the match (the result) was in the balance."
Erasmus has chopped and changed his players this year, but made a single alteration to his starting XV for Saturday with the return of prop Ox Nche.
"We tend to think we are a squad of 40 players and can interchange, but with just two days of training that wasn't too easy to do," he said.
South Africa will retain their Rugby Championship title with a bonus-point victory at Twickenham no matter what happens in the other match in Perth between Australia and New Zealand.
A victory without a bonus-point will likely also be enough given their vastly superior points difference over the second-placed All Blacks.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
