All Blacks great weighs into Rassie Erasmus’ ‘thug life’ approach as Springboks boss creates ‘very clever diversion’ from real issue
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and former All Blacks star Israel Dagg.
Former All Blacks star Israel Dagg admits that he finds himself enjoying Rassie Erasmus’ approach “more and more” following the Springboks boss’ controversial press conference.
South Africa and New Zealand go head-to-head in the first of four Tests this weekend, but there has already been accusations, claims and counterclaims.
Erasmus decided to do his press conference on Monday alongside former Test referee Jaco Peyper, who is currently part of the Boks coaching staff.
Springboks trying to control the narrative
The back-to-back world champions no doubt did that with the specific intention to control the narrative and put pressure on World Rugby, while also hitting back at the All Blacks, who believe that the hosts will employ go-slow tactics.
It has unsurprisingly divided opinion, but Dagg appeared to enjoy the theatre it creates.
“I can’t believe that I’m saying this but the more and more I see him in the media and at press conferences, the more and more I enjoy him, and that is Rassie Erasmus,” he said on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show.
“The way that the thug life, he brought out Jaco Peyper to his press conference knowing exactly the question line that was going to be brought to him from the media pack there in regards to slowing the ball down.
“I just think it’s great for rugby in general. Yes, there’s some things we have a laugh about and talk about a lot with the way that he approaches certain things, but there’s something in me that’s drawing closer and closer to Rassie.”
Co-host Scotty Stevenson, who has been a regular critic of Erasmus’ approach, was unsurprisingly less enamoured, believing that it was a “very clever diversion” from the real point observers make about the Springboks.
Erasmus’ ‘strawman argument’
“I’ve got no issue that Jaco Peyper is now officially part of that management team or coaching team and he’s there to impart his knowledge, he’s been a referee for a long time and a very good referee too,” he said.
“The interesting issue for me is it was a strawman argument that he brought to a genuine question. The real question is not about how long it takes between lineout call and setting lineout, how long scrums are called and setting the scrum.
“The genuine question here is how you slow ball down in the game flow. It’s a very different point that people are trying to make about the game and Rassie chose to take that argument just over here to the left to make it look like that’s what the point is, and it’s not.
“It was very clever diversion and he’s very good at it and he has been for a very long time. Wheeling out Jaco Peyper and throwing out the question to him, who gladly picked up on the tactic and ran with it, I thought was quite intriguing.”
