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Townsend accuses Eramus of 'sledging' Scotland player during water boy duties

19th November, 2021
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19th November, 2021
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Gregor Townsend has made an explosive claim about banned South African Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, saying he sledged one of the Scotland players during last week’s match.

Townsend, who was an assistant Lions coach on the tour that led to Erasmus’ 11 month match day ban this week, welcomed the punishment.

Speaking on Friday (AEDT), Townsend said he had been shown a video of Erasmus “sledging” a Scotland player during the game as the South African underwent ‘water boy’ duties.

“I wasn’t really aware of it at the time but someone showed me a video of him making comments about one of our players, a character assassination or sledging or whatever,” said Townsend.

: Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks director of rugby acting as a water carrier talks to his team during the 2nd test match between South Africa Springboks and the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

“That’s not the role of coaches; it’s not the role of anybody on the sidelines to be doing that.

“If we want our sport to go down a different route then we allow these things to happen. That was really disappointing to see and I know it wasn’t the only incident over the weekend, over that game.”

Townsend also expressed concern that Erasmus’ criticism of the referee Nic Berry after the first Lions Test was not dealt with sooner. It took almost four months between Erasmus’ 62-minute video detailing his issues with Berry and his punishment by World Rugby.

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The delay caused distress to the Australian referee, who told the tribunal he felt “forever tarnished”.

“That was a really bad episode for our game,” said Townsend, who was Lions attack coach in South Africa.

“I was there at the time so I experienced what was going on.

“I have since spoken to Nic Berry about it and he went through a really tough time and so did his family. That was a real shame and a pity that these things can happen in our sport. I don’t think it could have been allowed to continue.

“Those antics – we can’t fall into that trap of winning at all costs and putting pressure on individuals.

“It has been a while for that decision to come. That would be my only frustration, that it has taken so long to come to this decision.

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“I feel that whatever happens around a game, whether it’s a player or a coach or someone related to the game like a physio, decisions have to be made more quickly.

“I would urge World Rugby to make further changes. Why do we need coaches on the sidelines? If they are on the sidelines they have to live up to certain behaviours and values that we pride in our game, which sadly I felt over the summer and since then have been lost.”

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie also expressed his sympathy for Berry.

“All I’ll say is at the time it was hugely disappointing,” said Rennie. “Nic’s a fantastic referee, a good man. I was disappointed in how he was treated – I felt Nic deserved better than that.”

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