Cape Town – Just like the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph seemed to be written in the stars, so is Rassie Erasmus’ return to rugby.
The fairytale in Japan three years ago looked improbable in many respects before the tournament, and then the Boks lost to the All Blacks in their first match.
But it all came together as the weeks went by and it got colder and colder in the Land of the Rising Sun, and it climaxed on a warm and fuzzy night in Yokohama on November 2, 2019 with Siya Kolisi lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
It was fitting that it was November 2 again this week, on Wednesday, to mark the three-year anniversary of the 2019 victory, and Erasmus was present at the press conference ahead of Saturday’s Test against Ireland in Dublin.
The former loose forward, though, said that 2019 was a “thing of the past… We all know that it was great and awesome, but the World Cup is next year”.
And that is why it has been interesting to note how visible Erasmus has been in the build-up to the Irish Test, now that his World Rugby ban has ended, which means that he can be part of the Bok set-up on match-day at the Aviva Stadium.
He mentioned that it was tough to experience the team leave the hotel for matches and he had to return to his room to watch the game during his suspension.
But Erasmus hasn’t been as animated for a while. He even fronted up for a few press conferences before the Boks left South Africa, and he was at it again on Wednesday.
Perhaps his health issues also played a part in him being less involved, after he posted a photo on Twitter of him on a medical drip during a team meeting earlier this year.
He seems to be reinvigorated for the end-of-year tour, and particularly Ireland, where he acknowledged that he grew significantly as a coach and a person while he was the director of rugby at Munster before becoming the Bok coach in 2018.
What will make Erasmus’ return to the coaches’ box in Dublin even more enjoyable is the fact that he will celebrate a milestone 50th birthday as well on Saturday.
He has had a storied career, with highs and lows as a player for the Cheetahs, Cats and Stormers, as well as earning 36 Springbok Test caps – with his last game against France in Durban in June 2001.
Then he got into coaching in Bloemfontein as a young guy who had just retired following a number of injuries, and Free State won two Currie Cups in three years (one shared with the Bulls) – and where he became famous for his disco lights and colour cards on the roof of the stadium.
Then it was onto the Stormers, where he was first the head coach that took the Capetonians to fifth place on the Super 14 log in 2008, and then played his part as director of rugby as they reached the 2010 final that they lost to the Bulls.
Erasmus was also part of the 2011 Bok World Cup management team as a technical specialist, and in early 2012, he left the Stormers entirely and became SA Rugby’s general manager of high performance.
While he did lend a hand on occasion to Bok coach Heyneke Meyer, Erasmus’ duties were more office-bound, until he got into full-time coaching again when he joined Munster in 2016, before going back to South Africa as the new Bok mentor in 2018 – and the rest is history.
But while turning the Boks into world champions is the ultimate achievement, a perfect 50th birthday present would be a win over Ireland in Dublin.
There is no doubt that the South African coaches missed Erasmus on game-day, and he cannot wait to get stuck in as well on Saturday.
“You feel a bit as if you’ve dropped the team,” he told SuperSport in a TV interview this week. “It’s not that you think they can’t do without you, but it’s just that we’ve tackled this journey together, with the coaching staff, support staff and players.
“This is how we are going to operate during the week, on match-day… I myself as the director of rugby, and in our structures, we’ve got a certain way of doing things in South Africa.
“In our set-up, it’s on-field as well, and in the coaches’ box – it’s next to the field when the protocols and laws allow it, which it doesn’t now currently.
“It’s nice (to be back on match-day), because I felt I dropped – for a year – people that thought this is how it’s going to work. People had to do other roles and responsibilities, which sometimes I thought influenced the way we functioned and prepared optimally for a game.
“I haven’t won a game here (as a coach). I think the last time was as a player, when it wasn’t called the Aviva. So, not great memories, so hopefully that will change.”
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