‘Libbok must get back on the horse and ride,’ says Erasmus

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has backed his under-fire pivot to the hilt and says that the only way for Manie Libbok to get over his missed kicks against Argentina over the past weekend is to get back on the horse and ride.

Libbok’s two errant kicks, one going for touch and the other for polls to win the match, proved crucial in a tight 29-28 defeat against Los Pumas, that has taken the Rugby Championship title to a decider in Mbombela on Saturday.

Erasmus, however, stressed that it wasn’t Libbok’s kick that lost them the match, but the team’s inability to convert their opportunities as a whole, that left them in the position they were in, needing him to slot that kick for the win.

‘Take it on the chin’

“We all, as the management and the coaching staff, take it on the chin. But the only way to get a guy like him (Libbok) through this is to get back on the horse and ride it until it is flat again,” said Erasmus.

“We have made some plans on how we want to play and Manie’s role at 10 this week, and we have made some plans around goalkicking which will help people out.

“But I understand that Manie gets a lot of criticism. He understands that. All of us, coaches, players, hookers, referees, all of us have gone through a lot when you make a mistake.

“People think it’s all your fault. We are a bit more tense, because we think there were two tries we missed before Manie’s shot, which were easier than Manie’s shot.”

Kicking form for Stormers

Libbok’s kicking on the international stage has been under a microscope since getting into the Bok setup and every miss heaps pressure on him, especially ones in crucial situations.

Some of his misses for the Boks have been surprising and one has to wonder if it is the pressure that gets to him, as his kicking for the Stormers is a lot better.

He has had the odd howler for his franchise side, but he has also come in clutch in huge situations under massive pressure, like when he slotted touchline conversions to win their United Rugby Championship semifinal against Ulster (in 2022) and Champions Cup pool game against La Rochelle last season.

But where Libbok really shines is his all-round game, with him able to kick out of hand on both boots, and his superb eye for a counter-attack which often sees him starting moves in his own half.

Erasmus is well aware of this and admits that is why they picked him to start this coming weekend, and not for his goal kicking boots, which are unfortunately often errant for the Boks.

“Manie is not chosen just because of the shot. That’s why we make plans around it, which will hopefully work on Saturday. Manie has never lost a cup for us.

“You know, we didn’t lose the World Cup because of Manie. We didn’t lose the Freedom Cup because of Manie. We work around it and make sure it doesn’t become a crisis.

“What he brings to us is a natural game. Look what he did to Scotland in the World Cup. It was a tight game and then he did this no-look kick to the winger to help us win.”