Charlie Elliott: Were the Springboks tactics against Italy genius or too far?

South Africa have split opinions this past weekend with a couple of new tactics implemented, that push the limits of what is allowed on a rugby pitch.

Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks beat Italy 45-0 in their second Test, but had a couple of interesting moments that everyone is now talking about and debating.

They intentionally infringed during a kick off to force a scrum and later threw what was effectively a lineout in the middle of the pitch, lifting a receiver and forming a maul.

Charlie Elliott goes through both sides of the two incidents and gives his view on whether it is right, with this not being the first time that Erasmus has interpreted the rules differently.

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Positives

You could argue that a large part of the Springboks’ recent success has come from pushing the boundaries a bit. Back-to-back World Cups won, who that whatever they’re doing is successful, which at the end of the day is what elite sport is about.

Part of winning is doing things that other teams do not, and if there is a loophole to be exploited, then it is down to those making the rules to fix it as soon as possible. 

But in terms of the Boks, whether you agree or disagree with it being in the spirit of the game, this kind of innovation is good as it keeps the competition on their toes and means that other nations need to be smart to keep up.

Giving up the scrum from kick-off ended up not even having an advantage for the Boks, as Italy quickly won a free kick from which they launched an attack.

While the middle of the pitch lineout will more than likely be banned due to how much of an advantage it gives the attacking team, doing something to form a scrum still requires skill.

If the Springboks back their physicality enough to want a scrum, then that comes as a result of countless hours of mastering their craft, so they should be allowed to take advantage of a skill that they possess.

Negatives

As mentioned, the lineout in the middle of the pitch is very overpowered because players cannot be tackled in the air, which gives a lot of momentum to the attacking team when they form a maul.

This kind of advantage can be considered to be unfair for the opposing team, and although Italy did well in slowing it down, it could end up being something very heavily utilised closer to the try line in future.

Exploiting things like this makes the game less enjoyable to watch for fans and could potentially drive people away from the sport, something that is not needed right now.

It could also lead to further punishment in future matches if policed by officials.

Law 9.7 reads, “A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. Sanction: Penalty.”

Whilst this rule is ambiguous, there is every argument that the Springboks’ actions on Saturday met this criteria.

There is another argument that it is simply unsporting and against the spirit of the game.

Given that South Africa have won the past two World Cups then they can be considered to be the best team in the world and therefore shouldn’t need things like this to win games, especially against nations like Italy.

The Springboks can win games from pure quality, and using loopholes only invalidates their success.

Other Instances

It isn’t the first time that Erasmus has done all that he can to utilise the Boks’ immense power in the scrum.

During the 2023 World Cup, they became known for calling for scrums after calling a mark in their own 22, something which has now been overruled by World Rugby.

This move was extremely risky given the position in the pitch it occurred in, but paid dividends with plenty of scrum penalties won and also in tiring out the opposing pack.

My Opinion

I honestly think that while rules are up for interpretation, they are also up for exploitation. South Africa’s success in recent years speaks for itself and is largely down to the innovation of Rassie Erasmus.

Things like this keep opponents on their toes and also force others to be smart, so they can keep up with the Springboks.

It also stops the game from going stagnant as rules are continually amended and new ones are found, something which not everyone will believe helps the game, but in this instance, I think it keeps things fresh.

While I can appreciate that it is not entirely sporting, to me sport is all about winning and South Africa have become the epitome of that, which I respect about them.

Seeing new things happen in rugby is always exciting, so I disagree with the view that it makes the game less enjoyable from a fan perspective.

If things get too out of hand in terms of being overpowered, then the laws can always be adjusted.

Overall, I back Erasmus’ decision to push the boundaries and think that other nations should try and follow suit.

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