“The most valuable commodity I know of is information. Wouldn’t you agree?” So says Michael Douglas’ giddily malevolent character Gordon Gekko in the 1987 movie Wall Street. He was right, and not just about educated betting on the rises and falls in the stock market. The protection or loss of intellectual property has been one of the most critical issues in rugby’s professional era.
The battle for information is rugby’s secret war, its very own enigma machine, and South Africa is cracking the code faster than anyone else under the stewardship of Rassie Erasmus. When senior coach Stuart Lancaster left the leaders in European attacking innovation, Leinster, he was replaced by World Cup-winning mentor Jacques Nienaber. Meanwhile, the Springboks’ own Svengali-like supremo has made a point of importing and exporting valuable coaching talent over the past 12 months. He has brought in Tony Brown from New Zealand and Jerry Flannery from Ireland, and he has reclaimed Felix Jones after a very short stint with the English national team.
The ex-Munster full-back and strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters had been important cogs in the South African coaching machine which won the 2019 World Cup. Then they joined England. Walters stayed for less than 12 months, while Jones was gone after only eight matches, leaving the entire administrative and playing set-up dazed and confused:
“We weren’t expecting it. Nobody really saw it coming. It was a bit of a shock. It was a bit of an odd timing.” Northampton full-back George Furbank.
“It has been deeply disappointing and I won’t beat any bones about that. You saw with the performances in New Zealand and at the end of the Six Nations: great momentum and good energy.
“It was totally unexpected, but these things happen in sport and we will move on and make the necessary changes to rectify it.” RFU CEO Bill Sweeney.
Walters has since defected to Ireland and will also join Irish head coach Andy Farrell on the forthcoming Lions trip to Australia, while Jones has boomeranged straight back to the Springboks.
There is little doubt South Africa is forging ahead in this shifting of the-sands, in the furious and often bewildering merry-go-round of cutting-edge coaching talent.
“I’m not sure why things didn’t work out for him over in England, but we are happy to have him back,” said Erasmus recently. “We don’t have egos in the team, and we believe in sharing responsibilities as coaches, so he will be a valuable asset to the coaching team.
“Felix will be in charge of the player roadmaps and gathering all that information for us, as well as running the extras before and after training, so we plan to use him in all the different departments within our coaching matrix.
“He can assist Mzwandile Stick with the off-the-ball work, and all the other coaches with general tactics and detail in their respective departments, while he will also play a big role in the administrative side of things, so he has a lot on his plate.
”This arrangement will certainly benefit all our national teams, and we are excited to see what he brings to the table once again at all of those levels.”
Given Jones will also be working with the Junior Boks and the Springbok Women, you could be forgiven for viewing him as Rassie’s new ‘Minister of Information’. His whistlestop tour of world rugby, from Ireland to South Africa, to England and back again to the Republic, makes the 37-year-old the perfect man to build an IP bridge to all aspects of South African rugby. If Walters and Nienaber eventually follow the same pathway, they will probably be weighed, and their skillsets utilised in similar fashion.
Is there a cunning plan in place to seed South African coaches into important roles within European rugby, only for ‘the wild geese’ to fly back home when they have collected the relevant information and done their work?
The reasons behind Jones’ sudden departure have never been clarified, but the outcome has been clear and obvious indeed. Jones left England floundering on defence and quite unable to hire the right man to continue his excellent work. They could not find anyone who can oversee a Springbok-style rush defence and that is the main reason their progress has stalled.
Meanwhile Leinster and Ireland’s IP is no longer proprietary, and Nienaber will have been able to see and experience it from the inside in Dublin. It has now passed into the mainstream of rugby knowledge, and it will be much harder for the men in green to maintain their position at the top of the tree from now on. Plan or no plan, Rassie’s charges are currently sitting pretty in the information war.
South Africa’s own systems, and their contributions to rugby innovation, are running as smoothly as ever – long scrumming, bench scrumming off the 6-2 or the 7-1 split; close-range driving lineout variations; a blitz defence which can only really be coached by two men at the highest level, Jones and Nienaber.
Let’s take a deep dive into one of the Springbok specialities – variety in converting opportunities from the lineout drive. In matches between the top-tier nations in 2024, a try was scored on 56% of occasions from lineout starters on the 5m line. That figure dropped to 39% for lineout starters between 6-10m out, and a mere 10% from 11m to the 22m line. I am indebted to Corris Thomas at World Rugby for the following table and observations:
- South Africa generated the most lineouts and had the most success from them.
- The three most successful teams held the top three positions in the World Rugby rankings [South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand].
- South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand threw into 40 5-metre lineouts, a total noticeably greater than lower-ranked England, France and Scotland, who threw into a total of only 17.
The position of South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand at the top of both trees – global ranking and success in generating, and scoring from 5m lineouts – are in no way accidental. That table is a shorthand for international success.
The maul may look like a static and relatively straightforward contest of brute strength, but like every other area of the game it is undergoing a constant state of refinement and evolution. South Africa are the master improvisers and problem-solvers. When the Boks found they could not go straight through the All Blacks pack in the 2023 World Cup warm-up at Twickenham, they unearthed methods of going around it.
New Zealand’s defence was based around the ability of their prop at the front of the lineout [here, number 18 Fletcher Newell] to drive his Springbok opposite [Steven Kitshoff] off early, so in this case the Boks run a shift-drive beyond Kitshoff as quickly as possible.
Later in the game, the Boks found other methods of skinning the same cat.
As soon as Newell sticks his head in on short-side maul defence, it is a cue for the Boks to work the ball instantly off the back and give Siya Kolisi and Malcolm Marx a two-on-one against Aaron Smith near the sideline. It was a sign South Africa were thinking their way through the questions the All Blacks were posing, rather than just trying to knock the front door down by pure force of arms.
As the notorious gangster Al Capone reputedly said, “You get a lot more from a kind word and a gun, than from a kind word alone,” and the Springboks bolstered the will to dominate with the cleverness to cajole on that memorable Friday evening at the old cabbage patch.
Roll forward to the first round of the 2024 Rugby Championship, and the Boks were innovating in their favourite area once more.
South Africa would have noted from Australia’s series against Wales the Wallabies’ eagerness to commit to the first point of contact, so they designed a one-two punch specifically measured to exploit it. The drive goes straight ahead in the first example, in the second Kolisi peels away from the base. It is Rassie to a tee: always one step ahead.
We may never know if the early exits of Walters and Jones from the England coaching group were simply accidental: the result of a bad fit, or grand strategical masterstrokes by the Springbok supremo. What is certain is the flow of information in and out of the South African camp is running hot – hotter than in any other Tier One country.
There is a ready fusion of knowledge from both sides of the equator – from Nienaber and Jones up north, and from Brown down south – no other nation on planet rugby can match. There is no question South Africa is winning the secret information war, and breaking coaching encryption codes from all over the world quicker than anyone else. To paraphrase another famous Gekko statement from Wall Street:
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all its forms; greed for life, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.”
Erasmus would probably be nodding his head in ready agreement.
Two questions.
1. What is “coaching off the ball stuff”?
2. If SA scores a try on 74% of LO’s, the expected value of a 5m LO is around 3.5 points plus the kickers success rate (if it is 75%, then another 1.5 points) for a total of 5 expected points per LO. No team should kick to LO if their expected value is less than the expected value of the penalty kick.
Unless they really need the points and need to risk.
This table is very valuable and should include the kickers success rate.
1. Attack/defence field positioning options around-the-ball stuff? Preferred end goal of the on-the-ball stuff? Next steps from winning or losing the ball stuff? Preferences other than on-the-ball stuff?
It’s not three points, or the value of a penalty, though is it Carlos.
At 75% it’s 2.3, so with the majority of teams around a 50% success rate the lineout is well worth the option.
You also have to remember these are 5m lineouts as the main example, so the penalties are within safe distance of the corner to go for the risk of getting a 5m lineout. Not the best positions for kicking 3 points, where in the middle of the park theyre far more likely to take the scrum or the 3. And obviously that changes again with the different % and distances of lineouts from the corner.
I don’t know, what are you getting at C?😁
With attacking lineouts taken for pens, you’d also need to factor in other elements such as ‘how much time was spent in the oppo 22?’, ‘Did that time result in yellow cards or warnings for the D?’
If you rewatch the game at Twickenham v the ABs, those are very important. Thre pressure built from attacking lineouts milked a series of pens and yellow cards out of the ABs even when they were defending successfully.
During the seventies, I was a journalist at the Cape Times and and because of my connection with WP athletics and rugby I personally knew many of the players and administrators. None of them were anywhere near as accessible as Rassie - not just to journalists but to the rugby fans in SA. I live in Bloubergstrand and the most popular sports bar in the hood is called Doodles. Every now and then, I’d say at least once a month, Rassie pops in and chats to local fans. The last person that I can remember of that stature, who was that accessible to supporters, was Jan Pickard who used to talk to people queueing outside Newlands and would desert the formal after match functions after about an hour or so and pop into the Springbok pub near Newlands. To say that Rassie is sociable is a monstrous understatement. I wonder if this has anything to do with the coaching environment he has created.
Agreed Graham. Rassie has an unprecedented relationship with the media for a Bokke coach and an enlightened view of the rest of the rugby world. Maybe you have to all the way back to Kitch Christie to find another…
Ppl talk a lot about humility but it cannot be artifcial. It has to be organic to the person and curiosity comes along naturally in partnership with it!
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Guess the next 3 seasons will tell.
Yes indeed.
Why and how have the Springboks leaped ahead in terms of innovation? It all comes down to Erasmus and the coaching culture he has built. The Springboks are masters in innovation because they know what winning rugby is and they know that they need to do to evolve and stay ahead. Erasmus chooses to be proactive rather than reactive. He had Nienaber institute his rush and his defensive IP when he joined. He had Felix Jones institute his IP on both attack and defence. When the law changes came in he brought in Tony Brown to add his IP so the Springboks could evolve their attack knowing the same old formula would not work. Now that Flannery has taken the defensive reins, he has been fine tuning Nienaber’s structure and making his own mark. Erasmus doesn’t stand in the way of his coaches. He empowers them and lets them add to the balance. He doesn’t try to dictate, he takes in information and adapts to changes. There is consensus in the group which allows them to all pull in the same direction and allows the Springboks to evolve. He has created a learning environment and succession planning. Stick and Davids are high quality coaches in their own right adding so much value to the set up but imagine the IP they must have gained learning from some of the games leaders in a wide variety of coaching areas. Erasmus has empowered them to succeed. He is now doing the same with Vermeulen and mentoring him. He used Proudfoot and later Human to get an edge in the specialist area of scrummaging and used Walters and Edwards to shape Springbok player conditioning to give them a physical edge and manage the physical needs of the players expertly. Erasmus does not dominate his coaches, he gives them a free hand, he guides them and guides the overall plan. He is a master man manager and motivator and not a dictator. He brings in coaches that add value and who can guide the evolution of the gameplan so that the Boks can win. What sets the Springboks apart is not just the IP they have gained but how they are using it.
Before Rassie SA always tended to be the most conservative about receiving outside influence. You only need to watch one of their telly broadcasts to know ‘SA is always best’!
I think this is the heart of it. I suspect he ‘empowers’ far more than Razor for example. I also think Duane Vermeulen will be a great coach of the future.
👌
Nice one Nick. I used to think New Zealand were the masters of gleaning information from their coaches from across the globe. And always felt that SA was missing a trick of their own. Until we started exporting coaches much like New Zelaand does.
Rassie will long be remembered for putting the boks back on track and then on top of the pile. A legend for what he has done, love or hate him.
Long may it last, because of course teams have seasons. We’ve seen the ABs and now possibly the Irish seasons change.
I think what you are hitting on for me is that the health of the coaching pipeline, the quality of the coaches being developed is the best indicator of where sustainable results for international teams will come from.
I think England and Australia have some potential in terms of coaches out there and developing. How and if that is ever successfully brought into the national setup in a thoughtful, integrated way stands to be seen.
Because that’s where Rassie (who had cited the ABs in particular in this regard) has actually been his most successful. Making the springboks the ultimate goal, getting the systems to at least work in some synchronous way despite politics and competing interests. And in a country like SA!
When he moves on from coaching the boks, I sincerely hope World Rugby considers him for some role. Or at least - I hope he leads SA rugby. Perhaps as president of SA rugby.
The man’s mouth might not always seen as coming from the right place but his heart is. And he is a true leader.
PS. I don’t see a lot about France in my feed - and I should look more deeply, but while France has resources currently, I’m not sure what their coaching stocks look like and across the globe. Galthie seems like a generational coaching talent.
PPS. It will be interesting to see how many player turned coaches emerge out of this current springbok era. I think there are a few players who show great potential as future coaches. Having experienced Rassie, and possibly being encouraged and influenced in that direction.
Apart form Vermeulen, I suspect Frans Steyn might make a little dent coming out of the Free State. He’s a good man too. And I think he has good game smarts. He leads with heart too.
I have read that Willie le Roux is another potential. Although I think he’s bat sh1t crazy!
I have a feeling Kitschoff might make a move into coaching too. There are a lot of good rugby brains in the player group. The future looks bright for SA in this regard and with Rassie directing things in some further bigger picture role, I think this bodes well for us and sustaining a season of success for the boks.
I think it’s actually quite difficult for foreign coaches to succeed in NZ, and I doubt there are many open invitations for them to come Bull. Has anyone from outside been offered an SRP coaching job?
A big part of Rassie’s success is that his job at Munster set him up to receive influence from outside rather than shun it. After all he met Felix Jones there.
He may just be a great poacher-turned-gamekeeper if he wants to join the governing body!
My limited experience of French coaching is it’s very patchy, and it’s not always easy to comb out the ones who are great at their jobs!
PPPPS
How many of the top 10 teams are being coached by players who have played at the highest level? Gone are the days of teachers and policemen - now is the era of professional coaches forged out of the professional game.
Which also bodes well for SAs future coaching stocks considering how many players have played in leagues across the globe. Players like PSDT learning from Hansen. Etc.
Very interesting comment to make, goes along with the theory of increasing player lead programs and restrictions the RFU agreed to.
What about his appointment. Was that any less out of the blue?
Great greed reference, Rassie has his hands on South Africa’s rugby revival, or is leading it, and is not willing to let it stop or become complacent.
As said above, he’s an ‘empowering’ coach who is happy to see others do their jobs well, and you have to put ego aside in order to let that happen!
I don’t think Jones’ appointment was a shock, although his sdeparture has certainly affected the balance fo England’s game moving forward.
I don’t think he’d like the word greed. He’s passionate about South Africa and I think he’s driven by patriotism.
I could have sworn this article was written by OJohn discussing kiwi coaches infiltrating Australian rugby since Robbie Deans ……
And that’s exactly why you need to take the blinkers off John.
When will Nick write about the not so secret Kiwi plan to keep Australia down🤣
Now that’s actually quite funny! 😂😂
You’ve certainly been busy over the last few days Nick, no rest for the wicked eh? 😉
There is no doubt that Rassie is working his magic and I’d say you’re bang on the money that you’ve identified a coherent plan centred on delivering Bok success in ‘27. That said, I suspect the details around Jones and Walters England departures weren’t planned in quite the way they unfolded. Still much water to flow under the bridge but you wouldn’t bet against Rassie and the Boks with confidence, even at this early stage!
On hols after the 6N Ed, so taking a break then!
It would be great to know the underpinning story behind Walters and Jones wouldn’t it? It may have been been a loose convo, along the lines of ‘Hey if it doesn’t work out, there will always be a place for you here’!
But I reckon Rassie is pretty systematic about these things.