England great on what Rassie Erasmus ‘has done so, so well embracing’ with the Springboks and why he believes Ireland are ‘phenomenal’
Ex-England player Mike Catt has been speaking about the merits of Rassie Erasmus' Springboks and,. inset, Andy Farrell's Ireland
England Rugby World Cup winner Mike Catt has explained what makes Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks so special and why he rates Andy Farrell’s Ireland as phenomenal.
The 54-year-old South African, who went to play in England in 1992 and debuted two years later under Jack Rowell, is currently assistant coach at the Waratahs following 12 years working in Test rugby with Stuart Lancaster’s England, Conor O’Shea’s Italy and Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
Catt’s last involvement with the Irish was their series-levelling win over the Springboks in Durban in July 2024, and he has now shared his overview of the international game with an appearance on Coaching Culture with Ben Herring.
Midway through the hour-long chat, Catt was asked about his experiences of rugby from across the world and what bits the different teams do well that stand out for him. His answer started with his native South Africa, switched to England, hopped over to Ireland and Italy, referenced New Zealand and then provided optimism for the game in Australia.
“The emotional drive…”
“Growing up, the competitive nature of the game in South Africa,” he began. “Growing up, you didn’t walk back through the door at home if you hadn’t won a game of rugby. There was this real like you only come home if you win.
“So, there is this real competitive, real tough, hardcore mentality growing up, which was just incredible. It really was, and it is still there now. With South African rugby, for me, it’s more than just rugby. It’s not just a game of rugby.
“It’s the history and that’s where Rassie Erasmus has done so, so well in terms of embracing that it’s not just about the game of rugby, it’s about you and your mates, about where you have come from, how you have got here, the country, what it has gone through over the past 30, 40 years, that sort of stuff that they really tie into.
“That’s the emotional drive the South Africans have currently got and are winning games with the skillset and everything that is now coming through.
“England would be very much, especially when I first went over there, it was very much 10-man rugby. You didn’t play the big, free-flowing, throw-the-ball-around. You had Rob Andrew kicking it every time and 10-man rugby on the back of it. You sort of had the big physical stuff that happened.
“And then with Ireland, they were students of the game, they understood it so well, they were, they are so fit. They are such a fit team, and from their background in GAA, hurling and football, the skill set is huge but they are punching so far above their weight. Like Italy.
“How many people actually play rugby in Ireland? How many people actually play rugby in Italy? For these guys to be competing and sitting at the top table and being the best in the world, honestly it is phenomenal if you look back at it.
“You guys in South Africa have got hundreds of thousands of people that play the game and it’s your No.1 sport too. Same in New Zealand. There is only a small bunch of people who actually play the game, but it is their No.1 sport.
“So, it’s different, it means to your South Africas, your New Zealands, it’s more than just a game of rugby. Because the country cares, it matters. It matters, it’s not just a game, it matters.
“This is where Andy is. Rassie has done an exceptional job at it, too. And talking to Wayne Smith about it when he was in Italy with us, how they [New Zealand] chopped and changed things as they went through all the failure to then winning two World Cups in a row. They made it more than just a game of rugby. It is more than just a game of rugby in New Zealand. It’s religion or whatever. It’s rugby plus.”
Dwelling on the country where he is currently involved, Catt insisted that Australia have the athletes to become a great international team again, having fallen down the pecking order since reaching the final of Rugby World Cup 2015.
Preparing for his second Super Rugby Pacific rugby season with Dan McKellar’s Waratahs, the skills coach said: “I am really focusing purely on the skills side of it, upskilling players, getting a better understanding, and then Dan’s the one who comes more into the bigger picture stuff and the cultural stuff that comes with it.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
“And again, there is a lot of history there that you can tap into, and Australia need to find it again. They have got the athlete but rugby union, you are competing against your rugby league, your AFL, your football, all that sort of stuff and if you are not successful here in Australia, you don’t get much airtime.
“So, we need to get the Waratahs back up to the top, and the Wallabies need to be winning consistently. They should be. They have got the athletes – they have definitely got the athletes – and now it’s how we can fine-tune them to go back and eat at the main table at the top of world rugby because that is where they should be.”
