News24 | Rassie’s 100th: Bok coach breaks new ground in another milestone USA turn

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images

• On Saturday night in Baltimore, in the USA, Rassie Erasmus will oversee a Springbok Test for the 100th time.
• Those Tests are split up between his time as head coach and director of rugby.
• Erasmus’ first Test in charge of the Boks was also played in the USA.
• For more Springbok news, visit HERE.

On Saturday night in Baltimore, in the United States of America, Rassie Erasmus will oversee a Springbok Test for the 100th time.

It is a quite remarkable achievement, in the most unique of circumstances.

Erasmus’ first Test in charge, back in 2018, was also played in the USA when the Boks went down 22-20 to Wales.

Nobody could have precicted then that eight years and two Rugby World Cup trophies later, Erasmus’ 100th Test would again take him to the States, this time for a series-deciding clash against South Africa’s fiercest rivals, the All Blacks.

READ | Down to the wire in Baltimore: De Allende still trying to crack Jordie Barrett code

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry sees the Boks lead New Zealand 2-1 with only this weekend to go, so Erasmus’ milestone match could be one of his most significant days yet if they are able to secure the series win.

Not all of the 100 Tests saw Erasmus in the role of head coach, of course.

From 2020 to 2023, Jacques Nienaber was the Springboks’ head coach while Erasmus - still incredibly hands on - was officially the director of rugby.

Nienaber was in charge of 39 Test matches during that time, leaving Erasmus with 60 Tests to his name as head coach and 39 as director of rugby.

Of those combined 99 fixtures, the Boks have won 73, drawn one and lost 25 for an overall win rate of 73.7%.

That number has been significantly higher in recent years since the triumphant 2023 World Cup campaign in France.

Erasmus’ current contract with the Boks runs until the end of the 2031 World Cup, which will also be hosted in the USA.

If that is indeed the end of Erasmus’ tenure with the national side, he would have started and ended his reign in the USA in a 13-year tenure.

Against Scotland at Loftus earlier this year in a Nations Championship clash, Erasmus went past Jake White (54) as the most-capped Springbok coach in history.

Saturday’s kick-off, meanwhile, is at 23:00 (SA time).

Baltimore teams:

South Africa

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok

New Zealand

15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Ethan de Groot

Substitutes: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Rieko Ioane, 23 Beauden Barrett