Rassie Erasmus insists Steve Borthwick is a coach under pressure as South Africa look to inflict further misery on England at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
England are playing to avoid a fifth successive defeat when they host the all-conquering back-to-back world champions with Borthwick’s win rate for his 26 games in charge now 50 per cent.
The Rugby Football Union insists Borthwick has its “100 per cent full support” despite the last-gasp losses to New Zealand and Australia that have soured the autumn.
England took South Africa to the wire with a safety-first kicking game in last year’s World Cup semi-final and Erasmus suspects Borthwick will fall back on tactics that have been effective in the past.
“When you lose two games, even if it’s by a point or last-minute try, the pressure does start to build. I’ve been there and certainly know how quickly that can get to you. Now Steve is a bit under pressure,” the Springboks’ head coach said.
“Then one normally falls back on to what works for you. They’ve been successful like that in the past, so we very much expect them to try and squeeze us with the kicking game.”
When asked about the human toll taken on a coach under pressure, Erasmus said: “We have been on that side.
“Two or three years ago we lost three on the trot. It was almost four on the trot. It depends on the men in the room, the management. It depends on your CEO – they can make you feel like you have got a gun against your head.
When you lose two games, even if it's by a point or last-minute try, the pressure does start to build. I've been there and certainly know how quickly that can get to you. Now Steve is a bit under pressure
“If you put pressure on coaches it is not nice and you tend to make emotional decisions. But Steve is too smart to do that. Sometimes you try to please them a bit, but I don’t think he is that kind of man.
“Hopefully the environment around him is for him to believe in what he is doing, Hopefully he will get the win next weekend (against Japan).”
Erasmus’ mind games continued when he highlighted the “massive” advantage benefiting England because of their seven-day turnaround for the match compared to South Africa’s six.
Due to having one less day of preparation, Erasmus said he picked his team three weeks ago with 12 changes being made to the side that defeated Scotland 32-15 on Sunday.
Siya Kolisi returns to lead the Springboks with a five-three split between forwards and backs in operation on the bench, which was seven-one for Murrayfield.
Erasmus explained that his replacement strategy is a nod to the pressure England’s kicking game and blitz defence will place on South Africa’s backline.
Manie Libbok is preferred ahead of Handre Pollard at fly-half, with the Stormers playmaker given a shot of redemption after his dismal display in the semi-final 12 months earlier resulted in his substitution in the 31st minute.
Speaking over two hours before England named their team, Erasmus accurately predicted that Freddie Steward would be reinstated in the number 15 jersey by Borthwick.
“Freddie will be at full-back, definitely. He’s one of the best in the world. And now with having access to the ball when he’s chasing, he’s going to get even the balls they kick. He will be really devastating,” Erasmus said.
Responding to Erasmus’ claim that he is under pressure, Borthwick said he is not feeling the heat.
“It is one of my strengths that I just focus and compartmentalise pretty well,” Borthwick said.
“My job is to coach this team. I love coaching this team, I am loyal to this group of players and we’ve got to do things better than what we have.”
