Springboks: How will Rassie Erasmus’s return impact the November Tests

It seems like an age ago when the hour-long video of Rassie Erasmus tearing referee Nic Berry apart was ‘leaked’ after the first British & Irish Lions Test in 2021, earning the Springboks boss a heavy ban.

The second part of the suspension – on matchday activities – has only just run its course at the end of September, more than a year after it was issued.

The ban was justified and left his trusty partner and current Bok coach Jacques Nienaber on his own to navigate the intricacies of Test rugby.

Nienaber gets a lot of stick from Springbok fans, as most South African coaches do, but has, for the most part, built solid depth by utilising a lot of players, particularly the 50 used in 2022. As a result, the physio-turned-coach has held his own without setting the world alight but provides a platform to build from going into next year’s World Cup.

So then, what exactly does Erasmus’s return mean for the Springboks?

Reunited partnership

Erasmus and Nienaber’s partnership is as old as the hills, having first met in the army and grew through University, where the pair were team captain and physio of the university rugby team. Everywhere Erasmus coached, his partner went with him, from the Cheetahs to the Stormers to Munster and the World Cup-winning Springboks.

Much of the coaching success of Erasmus can be attributed to Nienaber and vice-versa, the bottom line being the pair operate best when together. The current Bok coach has managed to get through a tricky period without his co-pilot, and now the two can reunite to extract better performances from their side.

In-game decision-making

Nienaber, in truth, is a fantastic coach, particularly in defence, but where he falls short of Erasmus is the ability to absorb, decipher and use the right information to make key decisions in-game, often resulting in turning points in Test matches.

There are very few more advanced tactical minds than Erasmus, and whilst Nienaber, again, has held his own in this regard, he does not compare to the accuracy of his partner.

However, as a pair, the decisions made in the 2019 World Cup were superb, whether it was the timing of substitutions or adjusted focal points on attack or defence – something the Springboks of 2022 could have benefitted from in their failed race for the Rugby Championship title.

Security

Erasmus is the ‘godfather’ of this crop of Springboks. The man can do no wrong in the eyes of South African players and fans. The power of this cannot be underestimated as the World Cup-winning coach preaches togetherness, commitment and accuracy – cornerstones of what made the Springboks side world beaters in 2019.

Nienaber is the current pilot, but Erasmus has been the mastermind of Springboks’ ‘bigger picture’ since 2018. With the core remaining from that World Cup triumph, the squad will inevitably find security in the 49-year-old’s presence.

South Africa ‘A’

The Boks director will oversee the coaching of a second-string side against Munster and Bristol Bears on their tour in November, who Mzwandile Stick will coach.

The importance of these games is tremendous. As referenced earlier, the Springboks have built depth for the most part but are left exposed at fly-half and outside centre, with both first-choice players unavailable and underlining the limited options available to Nienaber.

South Africa’ A’ will allow fringe players to put their hand up. It will give a developing fly-half a chance to throw his name in the hat for a ticket to France. However, it will certainly need to discover another option at 13, and Erasmus is an expert at picking and choosing certain attributes in players that will complement the Springboks’ game plan.

It will be fascinating to see how many players from the second-string side go to France and how many of them play an integral role in the Bok’s campaign to defend the William Webb Ellis Cup.

In short, there are absolutely no negatives to Erasmus’s return but a boatload of positives which the Springboks will need in November as they face Ireland and France in their first two Tests.

Erasmus and Nienaber showed how much of an impact they could make as pair when they turned the Springboks around from a very average side in 2018 to world champions in 2019. Now there is a platform to work with, and the Boks will need every ounce of expertise from the tacticians if they are to defend their title in what looks set to be one of the most competitive World Cups to date.

READ MORE: South Africa: Mzwandile Stick to coach ‘A’ side in matches against Munster and Bristol Bears