Former captain Jean de Villiers believes that fans aren\u2019t too bothered about the Springboks\u2019 style of play as head coach Rassie Erasmus attempts to evolve the team\u2019s attack.<\/b><\/p>\n
Last year, Erasmus recruited Tony Brown to run the team\u2019s attack, with the former All Blacks fly-half arriving with a glowing reputation for his expertise in that area of the game following his coaching stints with the Highlanders and Japan.<\/p>\n
Under his tutelage, the Springboks<\/a> have been more expansive in attack, which Erasmus believes is necessary if they are to become the first nation to win three Rugby World Cups in a row.<\/p>\n Springboks aim to entertain<\/p>\n After falling to a defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park, South Africa reverted to a more conservative approach in Cape Town to defeat Australia 30-22, and after the match in the Mother City, Erasmus<\/a> explained that another reason for the attacking evolution is to produce more entertaining performances for the fans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to please our crowds by winning and playing a better brand, and sometimes we get it wrong like we did last weekend,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut sometimes when we get into games like this where it\u2019s a real grind, we tend to find a way.<\/p>\n \u201cWe tend to struggle when it\u2019s an open, free-running game \u2013 it\u2019s beautiful rugby, but you lose on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, we\u2019ll learn from this and hopefully the tighter the matches get, we\u2019ll get more comfortable with it as we have been in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n However, legendary Bok centre De Villiers<\/a> argues that fans aren\u2019t too concerned about how the team plays, with positive results ranking high in importance.<\/p>\n Teething issues<\/p>\n Appearing on Off the Ball, the 109 Test cap international was asked why the Springboks are evolving their attack.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s constantly about the competition to attract eyeballs; you\u2019re not only competing with our rugby tournaments and teams but also with other sporting codes and everything else on TV, too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you are paying for your SuperSport, here in South Africa, or buying a ticket to go to a live game, you want value for money and to be entertained.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose the Boks need to do their part in making it as good as possible to watch, so the fans can get the value that they believe that they deserve, but it\u2019s about that balance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve generally spoken with most South Africans who prefer winning rather than losing, and even if it\u2019s boring and ugly at times, they still prefer the win. But then you do get picky at times. I suppose it\u2019s that evergreen debate, whether it is just about winning or whether it\u2019s about entertaining, and most people like winning, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus: \u2018Australia are playing like we did in 2019, we don\u2019t believe that\u2019s the way to win the next World Cup\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n