Latest Rassie Erasmus innovation works its way into amateur game

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus got very creative in the Springboks’ second Test victory over Italy, with his latest brainchild laid bare in the opening second of the match when Manie Libbok intentionally took a short kick-off to force a scrum at halfway.

That controversial tactic was not the end of the World Cup-winning coach’s scheming, however. Later in the first half, the Boks formed a maul in Italy’s 22, 20 metres in from the touchline. While that isn’t strange in itself, the maul was formed by lifting lock Ruan Nortje as if in a lineout before scrum-half Grant Williams passed to him from the base of the ruck.

The maul itself didn’t eat up a huge amount of ground, but the Italian defence was fractured, meaning only one pass was required to put Canan Moodie in for a try.

Erasmus has now set a trend with his ploy, with South African amateur outfit Ashton United RFC adopting the same tactic against local rivals McGregor with the same outcome.

South African amateur club rugby side Ashton United RFC playing the Boland League executing the Springboks Lineout move successfully in open play leading to a try 🏉🔥 #Springboks #SupersportRugby #BolandGrootUitdaag #BolandTop12 pic.twitter.com/Sq505XoBmq

— RugbyVibez (@rugbyvibez) July 23, 2025

While the Springboks have been credited with this move, Erasmus admitted that he was actually inspired by a Paul Roos school match.

“Many teams do different tactical moves and we did a maul in general play with a guy that we lift,” Erasmus said after the Boks’ 45-0 win. “We actually saw an Under-14 B schools team doing it, Paul Roos Gymnasium.

“You get all the benefits from a lineout if you lift a guy in general play and it worked for us. But obviously now people will be alert for that.

“We tried a few things and sometimes those things work and sometimes they don’t, and you have to take it on the chin if they don’t work.”

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada also doffed his cap to his counterpart for this latest move.

“They always have some tricky, nice strikes from lineouts,” he said.

“In that zone there’s always something a bit special, different, innovative to surprise the opposition. They tried this maul from second phase. It’s a good idea because you have to react super quickly.

“As soon as the maul is formed, if you take it down you’re collapsing a maul.

“I think it’s part of the really good work they do to always be one step in front of the other teams concerning innovation and good ideas and they have the players for it.”