Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll says that Rassie Erasmus still has a chip on his shoulder and that fans don’t have to like him to appreciate what he has achieved with the Springboks.
South Africa ended a 13-year drought in Dublin last weekend, clinching a 24-13 victory over Andy Farrell’s charges at the Aviva Stadium.
The Springboks dominated the set-pieces in the fixture but didn’t have the ruthless edge to rack up a mammoth scoreline against the Irish, with the final scoreline flattering the hosts. The result marked Erasmus’ first win at the ground as a coach, having failed to beat Leinster at the stadium during his time with Munster too.
‘You don’t have to like Rassie’
Appearing on the Off the Ball podcast, O’Driscoll praised Erasmus‘ achievements since leaving Munster and turning South Africa into a real force in the international game once again.
However, he realises that the Bok boss is not the most popular figure outside of South Africa.
“It’s really a remarkable job that he’s done because he’s such an interesting character, and it’s so full of the bad side, and the cranky side and then the charm as well, and that’s almost all sideshow to the job he’s doing as a coach,” show host Mick McCarthy remarked.
“The fact that he’s unlocked the potential of the Springboks in a way that nobody else ever has.”
O’Driscoll replied: “I don’t think you have to like him to have a huge appreciation for what he’s managed to deliver in the time that he’s come in as director of rugby in 2017 [editor’s note: it was 2018].
“We beat them out the gate in Dublin, and they went and won the World Cup, probably a little bit to their surprise, in 2019 because I think they earmarked 2023 as their real chance because of the age profile of the players.
“So they got an earlier World Cup than they’d expected.
“And now, they are just going from strength to strength and Rassie has got a real chip on his shoulder still, like the cameras pan to the box and all of the like mouthing to the fans and you’ve just beaten us up.
“It’s still, almost like it wrangled them; there’s an irritation that we’ve been competitive with them the last few years, and this one was like, ‘Now, sit down’.”
Springboks would win a World Cup next month
McCarthy likened Erasmus’ attitude to that of Manchester United’s legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who was also viewed as having constant gripes and a chip on his shoulder, as a ploy to keep the players hungry despite their success.
O’Driscoll describes it as a fringe player who isn’t sure where he stands with his coach and is constantly trying to prove a point.
He adds that the Springboks continue to lead the way and states that if a World Cup was to kick off next month, Erasmus’ men would be the clear frontrunners.
“It’s akin to I don’t want to draw my own comparison but not being sure whether a coach rates you or not. It feels like you’re constantly trying to convince them that you’re a good player and that you’re to be reckoned with, and you’re trying to find the respect,” the former centre said.
“You get the sense that he’s managing to keep all the egos at bay, and I’m sure there are some big egos in there. There are some phenomenal world-class players. But how he gets them to realise that this end goal is much bigger than any personal achievement or success – it’s a remarkable journey that he’s taken them on.
“Right now, if there was a World Cup in a month’s time, they would be comfortable favourites.”
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