With the series locked at 1-1, Erasmus has been candid about two recurring problems: the Boks' second-half fade in both Tests, and New Zealand's effectiveness in the wider channels. On the late-game drop-off, he pins much of the blame on discipline — the yellow cards in both Tests disrupted momentum and left the Boks defending with reduced numbers during the critical closing stages. His counterargument is workload: he claims Springbok players have averaged roughly 60 fewer minutes than All Blacks players over the preceding six weeks, which he believes will translate to fresher legs in Johannesburg. The selection of a consistent matchday squad — rather than continuing to rotate — reflects the same logic, prioritising cohesion and energy over experimentation at a pivotal point in the series.
On New Zealand's attack, Erasmus is unambiguous: the 9-4 try deficit is a problem that needs fixing. He acknowledges two of the Cape Town tries were down to circumstance (Du Toit injured off the field, a missed tackle from Fourie), but concedes two others were simply the All Blacks outplaying and outsmarting the Boks in the wide channels. With Baltimore and a series win still in play, the piece is worth reading for Erasmus's detailed breakdown of how he's thinking about both problems — and whether his confidence in the team's freshness and continuity is justified.