1
Rassie Erasmus may find himself in hot water with World Rugby but most of what he said was true, it was an education for fans and my only criticism is he could have been more succinct.
ADVERTISEMENT
Posting a 62-minute video to air one’s opinions on contentious refereeing decisions may not be the right way to go about things but, aside from the sheer length of it and the detail he goes into, I don’t think it’s any different to what Warren Gatland did last week.
Gatland utilised the more traditional media to discuss his views on the appointment of Marius Jonker as TMO rather than just going via the official channels so Erasmus has taken things to another level but it has to be one rule for everyone.
The world has moved on and whether you put your point across in a newspaper, on television, on a podcast or via your own social media platforms as a coach, it should be judged the same. Media is media.
I very much doubt there are any rules specifically regarding the posting of a video on social media by a coach in World Rugby’s age-old lawbook and they need to ensure they’re applying their own laws fairly and consistently, whilst also addressing their own issues.
They remain silent on a lot of matters and we haven’t heard anything from them about the lack of a contingency plan once Brendon Pickerill was unable to fulfil his TMO duties for the first Test.
ADVERTISEMENT
That started this whole ball rolling with Jonker then appointed as TMO for all three Tests, Gatland speaking out, Erasmus retaliating and here we are now. It’ll be interesting to see what their response is but they need to look at themselves as well.
There is no doubt that, particularly in a series such as this one, both teams should be able to get clarity on certain officiating points by the end of Sunday at the latest in order to start preparing for the game the following week and clearly that hasn’t been the case.
Coaches and players will be debriefing on Sunday and Monday and then team selection is sorted and the game plan for the upcoming game is being worked on so it’s no use getting a response on Tuesday and then having some back and forth.
Joel Jutge, as World Rugby’s head of match officials, should be contactable and in the current climate when Nic Berry, Ben O’Keeffe and Mathieu Raynal are all in a bubble I’m not sure what they’re doing that means they can’t be clarifying things with coaches at that time.
ADVERTISEMENT
The actual content of the video is hugely educational for fans, pundits and even players. If it had been done after the culmination of the series and with less implied criticism of Berry specifically, it would have been welcomed by everyone I think.
As it is, Erasmus is clearly very frustrated but is also attempting to gain a similar edge in the second Test to the one he feels Gatland got in the first Test. Who knows whether Gatland’s comments about Jonker meant the Lions got the rub of the green but Erasmus is adopting the same tactic this week, just using more modern means and in far more depth.
You live by the sword and die by the sword and we’ll only be able to judge whether it has been effective come Saturday night. South Africa’s director of rugby will either have egg on his face and look like he lost the plot or it might just look like an inspired move.
Nobody is talking about the players the day before a huge Test, Erasmus has taken everything on his own shoulders and is prepared to face whatever sanctions come his way.
We’ve seen it in football with Rafa Benitez doing a similar thing but just without the video and in a traditional press conference, to the embarrassment of Steven Gerrard apparently. Now it’s arrived in rugby and gone up a notch. It may not be right but it is entertaining.
The problem is that not many people will have had the time to sit through the full 62 minutes and he could have got the same points across using the same clips in about 15 minutes.
We all want to see characters in the game and we could all benefit from a bit of an education from Rassie. His timing and delivery may get him in trouble on this occasion but I enjoyed it, I just think he could do with a better editor!
Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
28 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
28 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
28 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments