Rassie fires back after World Rugby Chairman criticises Boks' 'Bomb Squad' strategy

Since Erasmus was brought into the Springboks fold back in 2018, he has redefined the use of replacements in the game by using six forwards on the bench instead of five to maximise the talent and depth in his squad.

That move was met with some resistance but paid off when the Boks went on to win the 2019 World Cup, where the 'Bomb Squad' term was first coined by the South African players.

While it was initially only used in South African rugby circles, it wasn't long before the world was forced to sit up and take notice of what Erasmus was achieving with this bold new strategy.

When Rassie moved to the Director of Rugby role, his influence on the Springboks remained, with the Boks even going so far as to pick seven forwards on the bench, a strategy loaded with risk but one that worked in the 2023 World Cup final where the side claimed back-to-back titles.

The strategy has brought on great debate in the rugby world with some opposing the idea and Beaumont in an interview with The Times last week shared his thoughts.

"My view is that we allow too many substitutes," he said.

"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."

Naturally, the comments from the World Rugby boss didn't go down very well with Bok fans - and head coach Erasmus also chimed in on X to make his feelings clear.

The tactician, who recently received an honorary doctorate in coaching science, didn't directly reference Beaumont but it was pretty clear who he was aiming his comments at when he posted a bomb emoji, before adding, "Good thing games [are] won or lost on the field and not in the boardrooms."

Erasmus' response highlights his unwavering confidence in the Bomb Squad strategy, proving that innovation and results on the field ultimately speak louder than any off-field criticism.

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