Springbok boss Rassie Erasmus ranks among the greatest coaches in history

“It’s a 24-hour job to keep believing. If you’re going to fall, fall on your own sword. Don’t start pleasing people.”

This recent quote by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus speaks to the heart of staying true to yourself, against all odds. It’s a sign of confidence sprinkled with some braggadocio.

It came after the Springboks beat their bitter rivals New Zealand by a record score (43-10) in the Rugby Championship back in September.

The quote sums up the Springbok boss and his approach to leadership. The tactician has always backed himself, even when outside noise questions how he does things. This is just one among myriad traits that place Erasmus in the upper echelons of some of the greatest sports coaches.

It’s a trait he shares with several of his peers, from the sport of soccer, too. This includes coaching greats such as Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. In South African soccer, Pitso Mosimane is of the same mould when it comes to self-belief backed up by victories.

The innovator

Another trait possessed by some of the greatest coaches is innovation. They can continuously rewrite the script.

From that perspective, in a specifically rugby context, Erasmus can be compared to fellow innovator Rod Macqueen. The Australian coach guided his home country to their second World Cup trophy in 1999. They managed this while conceding just a single try. So much for Erasmus’s “boring” and overly defensive rugby tactics, which have been accused of “ruining rugby”.

Just like Macqueen in his prime, Erasmus is not afraid to recruit fellow leaders and experts who will challenge his way of thinking, while also contributing to the overall growth of the team.

This manager approach, which is also prevalent in European soccer, allows for a bird’s-eye view of the team’s strengths and shortfalls.

Within the Springbok setup, Erasmus has roped in expert coaches such as Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery. This not only ensures that there are different top-quality voices within the team, but that the side does not stagnate.

Bird’s-eye view

Erasmus used this managerial approach when he was the Boks’ director of rugby, winning the 2023 World Cup in France.

Although Jacques Nienaber was then the team’s head coach, the team still leaned heavily on Erasmus’s expertise in that successful campaign.

“Rassie understands the game… He played the game in the past. He understands what works and what doesn’t work,” said two-time World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit.

“The way he looks at the game is completely different to how anyone else looks at the game. And it’s quite exciting to play for him… We’re fortunate to have him in the system at the moment,” said the legendary Springbok flanker.

“That’s the thing about Rassie. It’s all about innovation. It’s coming up with ways to outsmart the opposition. He thinks outside the box with his plans and always comes from some different side. That’s a really good thing… We don’t get boxed in.”

Man for the players

One of Erasmus’s greatest innovations is the “bomb squad”. This revolutionary tactic can be attributed to Erasmus’s unique view of rugby. It focuses on a holistic team approach. The reason it has worked so well is due to Eramus’ man-management qualities.

While the Springboks have several world-class players in their ranks, it’s more about the team. Hence, someone such as captain Siya Kolisi is open to sitting on the bench for some of the team’s biggest matches.

When Carlo Ancelotti – one of the most successful coaches in European soccer – was at Real Madrid, his players often spoke about his warm approach in terms of building interpersonal relationships. It was the same at Liverpool during Jürgen Klopp’s nine-year stay.

This approach requires high emotional intelligence, which, in turn, builds a team that is willing to die on the field for their coach.

Rassie the disruptor

Erasmus has strategically cultivated a squad where several players can excel in multiple positions, allowing for unprecedented bench splits, to the chagrin of many rugby “purists”.

“I like some of the innovations; others are bullshit. He’s pushing the laws, but he has the ability… This is where the innovation has been excellent, to identify players who can actually play in four [or so] positions. That wouldn’t have been thought of before,” former Ireland hooker Keith Wood said.

Erasmus is also the master of mind games. He says and does things that unsettle the opposition. A simple example is the randomness of his pre-match squad announcements.

For some fixtures, Erasmus has announced his teams as early as Monday. At other times, he’s pushed the boundaries, making his matchday 23 public 48 hours before a game, the deadline for a team announcement.

Winning mentality

Of course, in addition to all these traits, any legendary coach must be a winner. They must have the silverware to back up everything that makes them great. Erasmus has more than enough of that.

Just like New Zealander and fellow rugby coaching great Steve Hansen, Erasmus is a two-time World Cup winner. At the 2027 showpiece, he will be chasing a record-setting third gold medal for a coach.

He also has three Rugby Championship titles to his name (one as director of rugby), along with a highly coveted British & Irish Lions series win (again, as director of rugby).

The 53-year-old’s legacy as an all-time great is firmly cemented. DM