'Horrible, vicious person' query has shown Erasmus in a good light
Former Springboks skipper Bobby Skinstad has backed the trenchant way Rassie Erasmus defended South Africa during their recent Autumn Nations Series – but he admitted the abuse meted out by fans to Wayne Barnes and his family was disgusting.
World Rugby took issue with what they felt was the sarcastic nature of his tweets commenting on refereeing incidents in the losses to Ireland and France and they banned the DoR from attending the final two tour games versus Italy in Genoa and England in London.
Skinstad and Erasmus go way back, fighting it out on the pitch against each other as players at franchise level and also for Springboks team selection. It was a back row rivalry that he touched on during a guest appearance on this week’s Evening Standard Rugby Podcast, Skinstad telling Lawrence Dallaglio: “So Rassie and I competed for the same position for ten years and there was zero love lost.
“I can say that honestly, he is a bloody good guy and he is a very intelligent, very hard-working, good rugby man. So we liked each other but we wanted to whack the hell out of each other every time we played against each other. We played in finals against each other, we literally competed for the same (Test) jersey and I liked him.
“I don’t think he has taken away from the victory (over England) at all. He does have his own sideshow and he will attract blame for that. Eddie Jones has also worked a platform and his platform has been traditional media and he plays it like the violin and he has done it seriously well.”
What should @EnglandRugby do next after a disappointing 2022. Interesting take from our guest on this week's @standardsport Rugby Pod @BobSkinstad who would appoint Scott Robertson now to help Eddie Jones up to @rugbyworldcup @London_Pride #supportwithpride do you agree? pic.twitter.com/0TLmOWo33c
— Lawrence Dallaglio (@dallaglio8) November 29, 2022
It was at this point in the conversation that ex-England skipper Dallaglio interjected, voicing his concern over the behaviour of Erasmus and wondering if it could negatively impact on the Springboks when they seek to successfully defend their World Cup title next year in France. “We all agree on Rassie’s achievements as a player and then as a coach. He came in two years before the World Cup and won it for South Africa, The guy is a hero back home, no doubt about that, and with a lot of justification, but there is a process for criticising referees,” he explained.
“I used to try and do it within the 80 minutes rather than outside. But I mean you just wonder. South Africa are clearly going to be World Cup contenders next year, no doubt about that. Upsetting the world’s best referee and attacking him publicly personally and bringing a lot of heat on his family on social media, I wonder how wise that is a year out from the World Cup.
“Referees do tend to remember these things and they do tend to stick together, and I just don’t think it [the tweets from Erasmus] has a place in the game.”
Taking his cue to come back, Skinstad replied: “You’re right and I’m not hiding from that. Let me just unequivocally say any verbal, physical, written abuse that has gone on to referees, whether it is Wayne Barnes and his family or whatever, is disgusting. But I don’t think you can attribute the blame for all of that directly at Rassie trying to protect his team. Those are two different issues.
“I’m with you: I don’t think it [Twitter] is a platform that you should be using to criticise referees so we agree on that but he is posting it because he is trying to help South Africa to win – which is his primary job.
“What I will say is I will defend Rassie saying, ‘That my No1 is the South African rugby team and if that is what I need to do to protect the South African rugby team I will do it’. What I don’t protect is whether that is the right personal decision at the time, do you know what I mean? I can’t.
“If you look at his internal coaching staff, how many people have gone, how many people have moved away because of him being a horrible, vicious person? Zero. The players, they are unequivocal, he is doing what he thinks is best to help us to win rugby games and I can respect that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments