Rassie plots a difficult route - building momentum while winning

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus knows the pressure that awaits him ahead of this year’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship, but he is willing to take it onto his shoulders so that the team can focus on the World Cup.

Erasmus believes that the Rugby Championship has the ultimate aim of building momentum towards the World Cup and while this year's competition is a shortened one, it is a tough one in terms of travelling – with two away games in New Zealand and Argentina and just one official home game next weekend in Johannesburg.

But those are the cards that have been dealt and while it ups the pressure, the Boks will be looking to achieve their own ideals during the season to make sure they peak at the right time when they leave for Japan at the end of August.

"We see it as one competition but we are also realistic enough to know that seeing it as part of the World Cup and having hiccups and supporters and players – if there are hiccups there, people will see it as a failure there. So even while we want to build it up slowly to the World Cup so that we peak at the right stages, you can't think you can lose a match and say 'we’re working to the World Cup, judge us on that.'

"You have to do well in Rugby Championships while you are building up to the World Cup. It is a continuous thing, we want to win the Rugby Championship building up towards the World Cup. But again you can't isolate the two, because that wouldn't make sense," Erasmus said on Thursday.

"Obviously the ideal is to win the Rugby Championship and build confidence going into the World Cup. Winning it for the first time in 10 years is prize No 1. With that there are some logistical challenges. We only play one game at home of the official Rugby Championships and then two on the road – one which is against New Zealand which in itself is a challenge.

"If you just purely think of the logistics – playing Australia here and then getting on the plane and arriving on a Monday or Tuesday and thinking you have a realistic chance of beating New Zealand in New Zealand.

"While doing that you will see when the side is announced for Australia, it isn't an A or B side, I can give you my word. It will be two competitive sides, because we want to win both games. If it was the case that we maybe played New Zealand first away and then Argentina, if the draw was different and we had two home games, we could have picked the best possible in-form side. But the draw worked out that we have one home game and two away games in a bit of a travel nightmare."

MIX AND MATCH

Erasmus explained that 15 players will travel to New Zealand this coming week to ensure they have a full week's preparation in the Land of the Long White Cloud while the coaches and support staff will fly out after the Australian game next weekend.

"So with the hand we got dealt, we have to split our resources a bit. However, it also gives us chance to work with some fringe players that we haven't had a chance to work with. So yes, we want to win the Rugby Championship, which will be a challenge, and it would give us a nice springboard to go into the Japanese test match, and if it goes well in the Rugby Championship, the last Argentina test match can then be used to test a few guys who didn't make the squad and give a few guys some rest time in the last test. And then pick our best side against Japan.

"So depending how it goes, we can lose a little bit momentum somewhere in Rugby Championships, but we will need to pick it up somewhere else again."

Erasmus said he will be forced to mix and match over the next fortnight to give players game time and to ensure that the team adapts to the challenges of the shortened competition.

"It's a given, but that's for me to take the pressure. Because when you look at it, what is the difference between Lukhanyo Am and Jesse Kriel? What is the difference between Beast Mtawarira and Steven Kitshoff? What is the difference between Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe? What is the difference between Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert? Or Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager? There are very few players where you can say this one is streets ahead of this one.

"That’s the nice thing at this stage, there are four or five positions where you can say this guy is clear cut, first choice. Those first clear-cut choices will probably go to New Zealand and I think you will see it when we announce the team.

"So I’m pretty comfortable, although I know Australia will pick their first choice team against us, which is a catch 22. If they pick their best team and we manage to beat them with a mixed team, it will be a massive boost for us. We are working hard to try and beat Australia and after the match the coaches and eight players will leave for New Zealand after the match and join the others already there.

"The pressure will be there if we lose, and I will have to take it, but I'm hoping we won't."