Rassie Erasmus’ future as Springbok coach hinges on his team getting a result against New Zealand in Wellington, he said.
After being appointed as Director of Rugby as well as on an unprecedented six-year contract, the coach said that will mean very little if South Africa are unable to beat the world champions.
The pressure comes after successive losses to Australia and Argentina, while his overall record of three wins from seven matches is not too flattering either.
“It’s very important [that we win]. But that’s totally beside the point, for me to survive,’ Erasmus said.
“If we can beat the All Blacks here, then everybody will think we have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup next year and if we do really well here, people would say there’s growth.
“But, if we do really bad here, then I will probably not be in the seat for the next couple of matches and somebody else will probably be there.” he added.
Erasmus insisted that his contract does not make him invincible, adding that his unique contract was a long-term view from South African rugby.
“If you follow South African rugby, the six-year contract means nothing if you’re not performing. I think it’s more a sense of our leadership saying listen here, think a little bit long-term, don’t just think crisis management, get through this week and get through the next week.”