Sir Graham Henry hails ‘innovative’ Rassie Erasmus and takes sly dig at rotation policy criticism
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and All Blacks legend Sir Graham Henry.
Sir Graham Henry has stated that he has “huge respect” for Rassie Erasmus as the All Blacks legend praised the Springboks boss’ innovative approach.
New Zealand and South Africa are set to go head-to-head in the first of four Test matches this weekend where the tourists will no doubt be on their toes for any curveball thrown their way.
Erasmus has guided the Boks to successive Rugby World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023 and has them in a good position for a tilt at a unique three-peat in 2027.
They have taken the mantle of the world’s best side from the All Blacks, who were the dominant outfit for most of the 2000s and 2010s.
Henry was a key reason for their excellence and led them to the 2011 World Cup title. He departed the hot-seat following that triumph but has returned as a selector under new head coach Dave Rennie, who took over from Scott Robertson earlier this year.
Rennie’s men know the huge task that awaits in the Republic and a lot of that is down to the man at the top of the Springboks set-up.
Henry’s sly dig
“I think he’s innovative and I think he’s got innovative people around him. You remember the rotation policy? There was an old All Blacks coach who had the rotation policy and got criticised by the media,” Henry jokingly told The Shaun O’Neill Podcast, referencing his time as head coach when he regularly rotated.
“He’s into rotation and he’s probably got three sides he can play. He’s probably got 45, 50, 60 players who are almost all at international level, so he’s got a lot of guys competing for positions.
“They understand that, they understand that’s the policy so they don’t expect to play every week. The game is hugely physical these days and it takes it toll, and you can’t expect to play 23 guys for four Tests; that’s not going to work, you’re just going to run out of petrol and boys won’t be able to handle that sort of physicality over four weeks of Test rugby.
“Having an extended squad is very, very important for success and Rassie has done that.”
Erasmus has tried a number of things during his time in charge but the Springboks’ biggest success has arguably been the ‘Bomb Squad’, which has completely changed the game.
The bench has taken on a significant role in the sport and Henry knows that they will have to be ready when the South Africans start making replacements, especially in the front-row.
Resisting Bomb Squad ‘critical’ for All Blacks
“He’s also brought some innovation into the game – how he plays – and the Bomb Squad for example. They come on and try and make a difference,” he added.
“That first scrum when the Bomb Squad comes on is going to be a critical part of the game, whether you can handle that.
“I’ve got huge respect for what South Africa have done and what Rassie has done, it’s just exciting that we get a challenge to see if we can compete with them.”
