Erasmus says Boks should have adapted to referee's decisions

The 21-19 defeat at the Stade de France was a highly physical encounter, with Piardi issuing four yellow cards and a 20-minute red card following a series of dangerous tackles and disciplinary offences. At a crucial stage, despite South Africa's dominance at scrum time, the referee allowed play to continue rather than award another penalty against France. Erasmus feels the Boks should have recognised the situation and opted to kick for the corner or take points at goal instead of repeatedly relying on the referee's whistle. 

"The refs are human, and that's what I am trying to say. I am not pointing fingers; I am saying we made the wrong call there. We did the same against New Zealand. At scrum dominance, in the 22, in the loose scrum dominance, and then we thought, okay, here we get it now, and then we made a mistake, and pressure was released, and New Zealand got a penalty there," said Erasmus

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Erasmus recalled a similar situation during the Springboks' opening Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in August. South Africa, trailing 19-16, opted for another scrum close to the New Zealand try line after enjoying successive penalties in that department. However, prop Gerhard Steenekamp was eventually penalised for moving around the scrum, allowing the visitors to escape and shift the momentum. The All Blacks went on to win 33-16. Erasmus says his players should understand the difficult position officials sometimes find themselves in and adapt their decisions rather than expect the same infringement to be penalised repeatedly. 

The Springboks also failed to capitalise on several promising attacking opportunities, despite making nine visits into France's 22-metre area. Their inability to convert that territorial advantage into points ultimately proved costly, particularly as the hosts were more clinical when opportunities presented themselves.

Erasmus described South Africa's approach as unusually tentative, admitting that the coaching staff must take responsibility for the hesitation that crept into their performance.

Erasmus also dismissed the suggestion that injuries were a decisive factor in the outcome, pointing out that both teams had concerns in that department heading into the encounter. 

Despite the disciplinary setbacks, physical exchanges and fluctuating momentum, the Springbok coach felt it was an entertaining and demanding Test, with both sides managing to score three tries. However, France made better use of their opportunities to secure a narrow two-point victory.