The Springboks and the Proteas may just have more in common than first meets the eye, and that was the consensus reached by Rassie Erasmus and Shukri Conrad over good old-fashioned braai in Cape Town earlier this year.
The respective national cricket and rugby coaches had a chat during the second Test between the Proteas and Pakistan earlier this year, when the topic of how the two different sporting codes could work together came up.
The Springboks are currently in their second alignment camp ahead of a busy international season, while the Proteas are about to jet off to England to take on Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s in London starting on June 11.
What began as an informal chat quickly turned into a brainstorming session, the Proteas coach Conrad revealed.
Conrad and Erasmus: Insights from a Shared Braai and Alignment Camp
“There’s nothing quite like a good braai to break the ice,” Conrad told SportsBoom.co.za.
“Rassie and I started talking about culture, pressure, leadership, and before the boerewors was done, we both realised we were playing the same mental game, just on different pitches.”
Conrad and Cricket SA’s high-performance managers last week attended a session of the Springboks’ alignment camp to get a better sense of how the rugby side prepared for the new season.
“We’re a week out from flying to London for our biggest final ever,” said Conrad.
“Being in that room with Rassie and his coaches gave us a mental sharpening. You see what makes champions tick—and it rubs off on you.”
Erasmus Highlights Lessons from Proteas for Springboks
Erasmus said there would also be plenty the Springboks could learn from the Proteas.
“A Test match lasts five days. That’s five days of being scrutinised, second-guessed, sledged, and still needing to stay mentally sharp. That’s not just skill, that’s spiritual stamina,” Erasmus said.
“There’s a lot for us to gain from how they manage that pressure cooker.”
The double Rugby World Cup-winning coach hinted this was just the beginning of a new sporting partnership.
“Vincent Tshituka, Ntokozo Makhaza, and Juarno Augustus were new faces in our environment,” Erasmus added.
“And just like them, the cricket guys walked in as guests and left as teammates.”
@Michael_Sherman
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