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Gio Aplon fears Erasmus decision may see Boks suffer same fate as fallen football giants
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Former South Africa full-back Gio Aplon has raised concerns over the long-term direction of South African rugby following the decision to extend Rassie Erasmus’ contract through to 2031, despite acknowledging the legendary Springboks boss “is the best coach at the moment”.
Erasmus’ renewal, agreed in December with SA Rugby, was a reflection of his “remarkable track record of success” according to SA President Mr Mark Alexander, with the Springboks firmly established as the dominant force in world rugby. However, the 17-cap Springbok recently voiced his unease about what lies beyond the current cycle.
Joining the Behind the Ruck podcast recently, Aplon said that the evolving nature of the playing group could eventually demand a different approach. With a new generation emerging, and the “old guard” containing the likes of Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit moving on, questions remain over whether the existing framework will continue to deliver the same results.
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Aplon said that the South African “system is getting stuck,” adding that he is “concerned” that there is not a set-up like New Zealand’s, with a variety of coaches available.
Erasmus was likened to legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson by the former Stormers back, who fears the Springboks are going to come to the end of an era after Erasmus, just as Man United did in 2013 when the Scot retired, with the club unable to win a Premier League title since.
“No person in the world will say what I’m saying right now, but, yes Rassie is the best coach at the moment, but I would not have signed him post-2027,” the 43-year-old said.
“It’s not personal, it’s not that he’s not good. I just think the ecosystem of sport needs something else with the type of players we are playing now. Remember, the old guard are walking in front now, the old guard are carrying this flag. But as soon as they’re out of the way, with this coaching style, there’s a new breed coming through that might complain like they did with Razor [Scott Robertson]. I’m not going to say that’s going to happen.
“I’m very cautious with ’31. We haven’t even played this World Cup and you’re giving him the job.
“For a local coach, where do you go? For Dobbo [John Dobson], for Ackies [Johan Ackermann]? What is your next step? Look at the All Blacks – there’s Pat Lam, there’s Andrew Goodman, they’ve got Dave Rennie, they’ve got Robbie Deans if they wanted to, they’ve got Jamie Joseph. They’ve got all these coaches out there.
“It seems like our system is getting stuck here, and I’m worried that we’re going to become the next Man United. We’re going to come to that era after Ferguson, where the next coach takes over and it’s too late and we’re not going to have an identity. I’m just concerned.”
