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Opinion
Rassie Erasmus evidently has the inability to recognise that his off-field antics do more harm to the Springboks that any match referee could possibly do.
This will ultimately be the undoing of the very team he’s trying to assist. The day Erasmus recognises that no amount of technological innovation will ever successfully replace human error when it comes to officiating rugby union, is the day Erasmus will see daylight on this issue.
Until then he is in a dark place mentally, unable to see that his actions are single-handedly destroying the very fabric of the side he helped build.
Rugby has long moved on from the days when amateurs showed up in the dressing room on match day after two practices during mid-week. An hour before a Test match during the current era, over 30 squad members have been in each other’s company for at least five days that week.
They’ve trained together, they’ve participated in white-board sessions, watched film, had physiotherapy, practiced on-field, lifted weights off field – they’ve been a cohesive unit.
All the more reason their director of rugby should be an anchor to the side.
No international side is going to have any advantage by having one of their coaching staff publicly call out a match official for poor judgement. Erasmus is still essentially the Boks’ coach: another reason he should seek out therapy to help rein in his worst instincts when it comes to social media.
One can make a good argument that without Erasmus’ antics, current Springbok head coach, Jacques Nienaber, is under enough pressure. Just the fact he is in the tough position of having to front as coach is enough strain on a man publicly entrusted to steer the Boks back to Rugby World Cup glory.
At the end of the day, Erasmus is old enough to recall watching his beloved amateur Boks play and for weeks on end, bemoan certain referees’ calls that, in some cases, cost them thee Test match.
But bad calls cut both ways – they always have and always will. Perhaps the best advice for Erasmus is to dig up his old scrapbooks and live an hour or two down nostalgia lane because sometimes old school is the best school for leaning life’s lessons.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.