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Cape Town - Coach Rassie Erasmus has brought a fundamental shift in mindset to the Springboks over the last two years, says forwards coach Matt Proudfoot.
When Erasmus joined ahead of the 2018 international season, the Boks were in a bad way after two testing years under former coach Allister Coetzee.
Now, in 18 short months, the Boks find themselves in a Rugby World Cup semi-final where they are favourites to beat Wales on Sunday and qualify for the third final in the global showpiece.
Proudfoot, who was also the forwards coach under Coetzee, gave some insight into what exactly it has been that Erasmus has brought to the table.
"The fact is that Rassie has come on board with a very specific plan – to play to the South African strengths," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"When you get alignment in the team, and players understand the plan and their roles, you can be very powerful.
"That has been the big change – the mindset that Rassie has created throughout the group, to empower everybody to take ownership of their roles, and to play the South African way.
"That is what we are comfortable in playing. Every side plays their own way – Wales have an unbelievable defensive structure. Great outside backs, so they play a specific way.
"We play in a specific way, and the players have confidence in that, knowing their roles and what is required of them. They thrive in executing it."
Kick-off on Sunday is at 11:00 (SA time).
- Compiled by Lloyd Burnard
