Fullback Aphelele Fassi says freedom to express himself within the Springbok structures, alongside law changes, has helped him dominate the aerial battle.
Speaking ahead of clocking almost 80 minutes in Saturday’s 17-10 win over Los Pumas in Argentina, Fassi explained how much license head coach Rassie Erasmus gives players to trust their instincts.
“Quite a lot, I would say. They always focus on structure and how to build our game, but also playing what’s in front of you,” the 28-year-old said. “Not every game is going to be the same where you become flashy.
“Sometimes you need a bit of structure. We get 100% freedom to express ourselves in any way that we want, as long as it’s within the structures and it puts the team forward.”
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On the growing emphasis on kicking and aerial contests across Test and domestic rugby, the 18-cap Fassi credited recent rule changes for opening up the space.
“Every team has its own plan on how they want to execute the aerial game. The way we want to do it is being able to dominate in that space,” he added.
“The rule change is making it more open for teams to dominate that space as well, which I feel is a good challenge for the attacking and the defensive teams. Just happy with how we get a chance to compete in the air.”
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Fassi, who missed a chunk of last season for the Sharks due to shoulder surgery, also touched on how the coaching staff have made the transition into the Bok system a smooth one.
“The coaches make it easy and give us the platform to be able to learn, adapt and perform,” he said.
“For me, I guess it’s being able to learn, execute what the coaches want and how I want to play my game and what I see in front of me while playing.”
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He was full of praise for Sharks youngsters Zekhethelo Siyaya and Luan Giliomee, who both made their senior debuts with South Africa A against Zimbabwe on 20 June.
“The two have a massive future ahead of them. We saw in the SA A game that they played, and how Gili played in the Junior World Championship and how Siyaya played his first game,” Fassi noted.
“They’ve got the ability to learn fast and to be able to adapt and execute the way that they want to play at the top level.”
Fassi also credited the Boks’ late-game dominance to strength and conditioning coach Andy Edwards, adding: “Andy plays a massive role, but it’s just the mindset of the whole squad, from the coaches and players, playing for a bigger thing.”
Photo: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
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