Steve Hansen: Veteran Boks might call it quits on Erasmus ahead of 2027

Former All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has warned Rassie Erasmus that some veteran players may call it quits ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Speaking from experience after the 2015 Rugby World Cup title, Hansen said that the coaches were very aware of the age profile of their team heading into 2019.

The Springboks are carrying a number of veterans from the double World Cup wins such as Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel, and Cheslin Kolbe.

“We had a group of players heading into 2015 who were getting on the older side, and we had a discussion one by one with them about what they controlled,” Hansen said on the Rugby Unity and For the Love of Rugby SA podcast colloboration.

“They were the only person who could tell you if they still had the desire, the genuine desire to do the work from Sunday to Friday – Saturday is always the fun time; that’s when everyone can all still be playing if we could do that.”

Hansen said their was a right way to retire the players who had given so much to South Africa, if they decided to call time early before the World Cup.

“The guys you’re talking about are generational players for South Africa, and they’re guys that you don’t want to let go because they bring so much with them,” he said.

“However, if he [Erasmus] has the conversation, then there might be one or two that say, ‘Look, I don’t I just can’t do it anymore,’ and that’s fine; they’re putting the team first.

“They’re brave enough to tell you. So you exit them out of the team in a way that they deserve to be exited out because they’re champion players.

“But if they still have that desire, they’ll front up, and they’ll play well.”