Rassie Erasmus: Springboks won't fall into the trap of chasing bonus points against Argentina

As the Rugby Championship heads for a dramatic finish with all four teams still in contention, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admits he will be keeping a close eye on Saturday morning’s clash between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland.

That game kicks off at 9.05am SA time, with the Boks hosting Argentina at Kings Park in Durban later in the day (5.10pm).

“We will have a look at that,” Erasmus said. “Even before last week’s game against the All Blacks in Wellington, I was on the phone checking what was happening in Sydney with the Wallabies and the Pumas.

"That was just before our team talk, and it gave us extra motivation knowing that, thanks to the Pumas’ win, we were still in the mix for the Championship.”

This weekend, Erasmus will again want to know the permutations before kick-off, with all four sides having won two games and lost two, and only bonus points separating them. But he cautioned against chasing extras too early.

“It is nice to know exactly what you have to do in the game, but if you’re chasing the bonus point before you’ve won, it can come back to bite you," said Erasmus.

"Two years ago, also against the Pumas in Durban, we needed to win by a big score to have a chance of winning the title. We started too fast and chased our own tail. We won’t make that mistake again.

"We must win first. With a four-point win, we will still be in the mix no matter what happens in Auckland.”

The Bok coach also pointed to local conditions as a factor.

“We’ve spoken a lot about the slippery conditions at Kings Park as it gets hotter and there’s more dew. We’ve trained in it all week, and the local boys remind us," said Erasmus.

"You get used to it, but it will stifle the attack a bit, and we have to manage that. We’re going to play a proper Test match on Saturday—we’re not just going to come out and throw the ball around from the start."