To the dismay of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has questioned the number of substitutes allowed.
“My view is that we allow too many substitutes,” he told The Times.
“I don’t know if I’m looking through rose-coloured spectacles, but in years gone by, the game always opened up in the last 20 minutes, and games were often won in the last 20 minutes.
“The Bomb Squad are very effective at what they do and very successful — they have won two World Cups. I will not criticise that at all, because it suits their game, but maybe they could run for a bit longer and a bit further.”
Tactics challenged
Rassie Erasmus’s unorthodox 7-1 split has been monumental in South Africa’s successive World Cup victories—now, it seems lawmakers want to minimise its effectiveness.
The bomb squad, an infamous Erasmus tactic used early to midway through the second half, involves replacing each of his seven forwards, thus injecting a new wave of force into the front row.
It has been proven to dismantle opponents, who are often overpowered by fresh legs in the scrums and scrimmages.
You would be, too, if the likes of Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, and Ox Nche entered the pitch.
During the 2023 World Cup, the Springboks won two of their three elimination games in the dying minutes, which many put down to the bomb squad’s effectiveness, allowing them to grind down teams late in the game.
If Beaumont’s wish for fewer substitutes materialises, it will derail Springboks’ golden strategy, forcing Erasmus, and only Erasmus, to rethink his tactics.
The Springboks are the only team in international rugby who opt for the 7-1 split, insinuating that they will be most affected by the rule change – this seems to be World Rugby’s attempt at diffusing the bomb squad and hampering South Africa’s dominance.
Following Beaumont’s comments, Erasmus took to X, writing, “Bomb squad? Good thing games is won or lost on the field and not in the boardrooms”.
The two-time World Cup-winning coach is not happy with the chairman’s comments.
Bomb squad under threat
Since its introduction in 2019, the bomb squad has been globally disputed, with many believing it to be outside the spirit of the game.
Perhaps they’re sore losers – or envious that they can’t replicate it’s potency.
Either way, hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie.
Do you think the Springboks will win the 2027 World Cup?
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