Rassie Erasmus has taken to social media to hit out ex-Scotland coach Matt Williams over his comments about Steven Kitshoff and the Bomb Squad.<\/b><\/p>\n
Williams has repeatedly criticised the tactic of loading the bench with forwards as he believes that it is a safety risk and \u201cdiscriminates against backline players\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Springboks<\/a> made the tactic particularly popular in 2019 with a 6-2 split helping them with the Rugby World Cup before taking it a step further with a 7-1 four years later to defend their title.<\/p>\n France have since adopted the 7-1 tactic using it thrice en route to winning the 2025 Six Nations and while Williams<\/a> admits it is effective, he still believes that dangerous for the players.<\/p>\n Williams\u2019 latest Bomb Squad criticism<\/p>\n He states that he will \u2018not shut up\u2019 about it despite World Rugby confirming that they have no plans to outlaw or adjust the laws concerning the bench as their research hadn\u2019t found any evidence to suggest it made the sport more dangerous.<\/p>\n \u201cI admire the intellectual thinking of this as a coach, I do not have a problem with the coaches, this is not a problem about selection or why they\u2019re doing it,\u201d he told DSPN with Martin Devlin.<\/p>\n \u201cI get it, it works. France against Ireland [in the Six Nations], it absolutely works, but what does that do to our game?\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI\u2019m going to cop an earful off everyone, I\u2019m prepared to do that otherwise I would be walking away from an old mate\u2019s legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Kitshoff speculation<\/p>\n However, it was what he had to say about Kitshoff<\/a> that caught Erasmus\u2019 attention and prompted a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n Williams speculated that Kitshoff\u2019s injury was a result of the tactics and the Springboks\u2019 intensity of scrummaging.<\/p>\n The 83-Test cap prop announced his retirement from rugby earlier this year after suffering a neck injury that was \u201ctwo millimetres\u201d away from taking his life.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know about brain injuries, what is it doing for brain injuries by bringing fresh guys off the bench? What\u2019s it doing to the guys spines when it\u2019s being compacted unbelievably for 80 minutes?\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Kitshoff, what happened to his spine in South Africa? Do we know if that is as a result of the scrummaging they are put through?\u201d<\/p>\n Erasmus\u2019 posted a screenshot of Williams\u2019 quotes with the caption: \u201cNee wat [no what] !! How can a 6\/2 or 7\/1 split contribute to Kitchie\u2019s injury? \u201cDo we know\u201d No you dont.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0Matt Williams refuses to \u2018shut up\u2019 about Bomb Squad tactics as he speculates over Steven Kitshoff retirement<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Bomb Squad: The birth of the Springboks\u2019 explosive tactics, its copycats, detractors and controversies<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0Rassie Erasmus issues two-word response after World Rugby decides the fate of the Bomb Squad<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Nee wat !! How can a 6\/2 or 7\/1 split contribute to Kitchie\u2019s injury ? \u201cDo we know\u201d No you dont \ud83e\udd2b pic.twitter.com\/HMLa2kfNfL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Johan Erasmus (@RassieRugby) April 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Kitshoff sustained the injury while on duty for Western Province last year when he was working his way back to full fitness following a knee injury.<\/p>\n He came off the bench for Western Province in the match before sustaining the injury in a scrum.<\/p>\n Kitshoff\u2019s take on the Bomb Squad<\/p>\n Recently, Kitshoff appeared on Erasmus\u2019 podcast Rassie+ where he discussed his injury and the formation of the Bomb Squad.<\/p>\n During the episode, the Boks head coach asked the prop whether he believed the tactic actually extends a player\u2019s career.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think that the way we did it, I know it was 83 Test matches, but doesn\u2019t it prolong a guy\u2019s career?\u201d Erasmus said.<\/p>\n \u201cOne guy doesn\u2019t play 70 minutes and the other only 10 minutes, even when he is almost as good.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people like to criticise it but surely it has helped you?\u201d<\/p>\n Kitshoff replied: \u201c100%, you give everything for 35 or 40 minutes and those extra minutes almost saves your body for the next week.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you are fresher for Monday and Tuesday and you get through the week like that.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0\ud83d\udc49\u00a0<\/b>Phil Vickery reveals mom\u2019s brutal text after scrum disaster against Springboks great Tendai \u2018Beast\u2019 Mtawarira<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n