South Africa’s director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, following the Rugby World Cup 2023 final match at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Picture date: Saturday October 28, 2023. Photo: Adam Davy / PA via Backpagepix
Rassie Erasmus is the greatest coach in rugby history
Springboks legend Rassie Erasmus is the GOAT. Here’s some proof.
South Africa’s director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, following the Rugby World Cup 2023 final match at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Picture date: Saturday October 28, 2023. Photo: Adam Davy / PA via Backpagepix
The Springboks were in tatters in September 2017. Six years later they’ve won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, and Rassie Erasmus has been there through it all.
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Rassie Erasmus is the GOAT
It’s crazy to observe how much value Rassie Erasmus adds either as a head coach or Head of Rugby. We all know about his infamous ability to get into the heads of opponents. It’s so legendary that the Springboks even made a song about it, to the tune of The Cranberries’ song “Zombie” which they serenaded him with after their epic Rugby World Cup triumph on Saturday. It wasn’t always going to be this way though. In September 2017, South Africa was mauled 57-0 by New Zealand on one of their darkest days. Just two years later they pulverised England into submission with a scoreline of 32-12 in the World Cup final. This team was moulded in Rassie’s image and they are a formidable group of human beings. The scale of this achievement can’t actually be put into words. What a team.
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Rassie Erasmus is an expert in opposition analysis, psychological mind games and precise man-management. He has no issue getting under the skin of the Springboks’ adversaries, but more crucially, he’s a consummate professional on a human level, taking an interest in the lives of his players and their families. He makes everyone feel included, special and valuable. That is a gift. We don’t know what the immediate future holds for the 50-year-old, but it seems as though he’s clocked the game of rugby with South Africa. He certainly won’t have a shortage of options from which to choose.
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