Erasmus responds to All Blacks' claims of a slow game
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 17, 2026, 6:51 PM
Last updated Aug 17, 2026
Ahead of the test match at Ellis Park, Rassie Erasmus defended South Africa against accusations from New Zealand players and coaches that they deliberately slow the game. Erasmus pointed out that their recent encounters were not indicative of slow play, referencing last year's matches where each team had a victory. He mentioned that the new protocol restricting coach-referee meetings contributes to the tension. Meanwhile, the Springboks are monitoring the fitness of captain Siya Kolisi and prop Ox Nche before the match. New Zealand has called up Saula Ma'u as a replacement for injured Ollie Norris.
- •Erasmus defends Springboks against All Blacks' slow game accusations.
- •Recent matches featured one win for each team.
- •Kolisi and Nche are being assessed for fitness.
- •New Zealand lost Ollie Norris to injury and replaced him with Saula Ma'u.
- 6:51 PMYahoo Sports — Erasmus fires back at All Blacks' 'slow game' claims ahead of Ellis Park test
"It couldn't be South Africa vs. New Zealand without a phony war. Building to their first test at Ellis Park on Saturday, the touring All Blacks have been pushing the narrative that South African teams including the Springboks deliberately slow down the game to undermine New Zealand attempts to speed it up. Coach Dave Rennie, assistant Tana Umaga and senior player Codie Taylor have all made the claim while scoring 142 points and conceding 40 against three clubs.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 6:52 PMRanji Trophy: Rinku Singh fights lone battle for UP against Goa; J&K bowled out for 260 vs Vidarbha
Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 4:26 PMBowlers, Shafali, Mandhana power India to series win
Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 4:08 PM‘Consistency is overrated in T20s’: Former India cricketer explains fine line between form and failure- Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 3:38 PM'Catch of the Day!': Faheem Ashraf completes sensational relay catch in Rawalpindi to save debutant Saad Baig’s blushes
Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 3:24 PM'Sanju Samson plays with emotions': Ex-coach explains why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance
Cricket•Oct 18, 2026, 3:15 PMNahida Akter named Bangladesh women's T20I captain
