Rassie Erasmus optimistic for Springboks

It has been a tough season for South African rugby with Allister Coetzee’s side losing eight of their 12 Tests in 2016. Yet amidst all the hand-wringing, Rassie Erasmus remains optimistic there remains truth in the old Afrikaans saying “the Springbok will always stand up again”.

Defeats in Europe to England, Wales and, most painful of all, Italy, brought a sorry end to the Boks’ international campaign.

Their first season under Coetzee, who replaced Heynecke Meyer as head coach following South Africa’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in October 2015, had begun with a first defeat on home soil to Ireland and despite two subsequent victories over Joe Schmidt’s injury-hit tourists, the writing was on the wall.