Rassie Erasmus, for many, is an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
His ‘out-the-box’ approach to the game is often questioned, but not by those who know him intimately.
As a player, he featured in more than 100 games for the Free State and made 36 Test appearances between 1997 and 2001.
However, it is as a coach that his ‘genius’ truly came to light.
In his stint as Free State coach, 2004 to 2006, he won the Currie Cup in spectacular fashion, had his first stint as a Springbok assistant in 2007 (technical adviser), then became involved with Western Province and the Stormers between 2007 and 2011 (eventually as a Director of Rugby), before being called up as technical specialist to the Bok coaching panel in 2011.
In 2016 he moved to Munster, before returning to South Africa in 2018 – as a Director of Rugby and Bok coach.
With Jacques Nienaber, they won back-to-back World Cups, 2019 and 2023, before their partnership finally ended this year.
Nick Mallett, in the latest episode of the Boks Office podcast on RugbyPass TV, explained why he asked Erasmus to replace Gary Teichmann as Springbok captain in 1999.
Teichmann, Bok captain in 36 of his 42 Tests between 1995 and 1999, played his Test (as captain and player) in the 18-34 loss to New Zealand at Carisbrook in Dunedin on 10 July 1999.
Mallett named Erasmus as captain for the 6-32 loss to Australia at Lang Park, Brisbane, a week later – Erasmus’ only Test as Bok captain.
The late Joost van der Westhuizen was subsequently named Bok captain and took the team to the World Cup, where they lost to eventual winners Australia in the semifinal.
Admitting that axing Teichmann was his single biggest mistake, Mallett said Erasmus was always a ‘thinking’ player.
(WATCH as former Springbok coach and now television analyst Nick Mallett reveals what makes Rassie Erasmus so special…..)
“He wasn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest,” Mallett said, adding: “He always got into the right places at the right time.
“He analysed his opponents and what they were doing, more than any player I knew.
“That gave him a really good understanding of what he was going to face that day.”
Mallett, known for his delightful yarns about Erasmus, said the Bok coach often used to come to him to explore possible tactics.
“Whenever he came up [with something], they were always great ideas.
“He was a player-coach, almost, with the Cats [in Super Rugby].
“He won a Currie Cup with Free State, away [in the Final] against the Bulls.
“As Director of Rugby you guys would have known his organisational skills here [at the Stormers in Cape Town],” he told his hosts – Jean de Villiers ab nd Schalk Burger.
“You guys got to a [Super Rugby] Final [in 2010].
“He had success here. He had success with Munster.
“He’s always, with Jacques Nienaber, [been successful].”
Mallett felt that now the two – Erasmus and Nienaber – have gone their separate ways, they will grow as coaches.
“Perhaps it is good for him [Erasmus] to work with other assistant coaches.
“He reinvents himself every single time.
He was coach, then Director of Rugby, still heavily involved [in the Bok team] and now a coach again.
“Who is to say he won’t go back to be Director of Rugby again?
“I don’t think he is going anywhere.”
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* Watch the Mallett clip above or see the whole of Episode 26 on RugbyPass TV!
