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Lions boss Gatland takes potshot at no-water water boy Erasmus

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lions boss Warren Gatland has questioned what his Springboks counterpart Rassie Erasmus was up to on Wednesday night, wearing a water boy bib and going onto the Cape Town pitch to deliver messages rather than water which is what someone wearing the H2O garment is supposed to do. Head coaches and directors of rugby usually sit in the grandstand surrounded by their main assistant coaches as well as TVs showing match footage and laptops delivering a wealth of statistical information. 

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However, while Gatland occupied his usual Lions matchday perch, watching developments unfold from up in the stands, Erasmus was directing the South Africa A team operations from the touchline and entering the field of play during breaks.

Gatland initially touched on the Erasmus antics when speaking at his post-game media briefing on Wednesday night. “It’s a little bit interesting. You won’t see me doing that. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. A little bit strange that the director of rugby of South Africa being also a water boy.”

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The Lions boss then revisited the unusual situation at his media briefing on Thursday that accompanied the announcement of the entirely changed starting team that will play the Stormers on Saturday.

“Last night he is a water boy and running on the pitch. I think if you are the water boy carrier running onto the pitch you have got to make sure you are carrying water. I didn’t understand what his role was. You don’t run onto the pitch giving messages and stuff if you are the water boy without carrying the water. My advice is to make sure he is carrying water the next time he does that.”

Gatland’s barb over the water was an indication of the rivalry creeping into the build-up ahead of the three-game Test series which begins in Cape Town on July 24. Erasmus accused the Lions of running scared earlier this week when Gatland turned down the suggestion that his squad should face South Africa A a second time this Saturday rather than play the Stormers as scheduled. “I just think he was trying to wind us up by saying we were scared which is he is sometimes capable of doing,” said Gatland dismissed the notion that the Lions, beaten 17-13 by South Africa A, are in a spot of bother heading into the Test series.  

“No (not scared). Pretty excited about it,” he retorted. “It was a physical game, it is going to be physical. We will be pretty pumped for next week so we have got to start well. We know what is coming and I thought they [South Africa] will have some pretty sore bodies today. We showed that our maul defence, we scrummed exceptionally well. 

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“I thought some of our pick and go stuff they probably weren’t expecting that gave us an opportunity to work on those sort of things and from an attacking perspective we probably weren’t as clinical as we will be but there were opportunities out there that we left behind. That will give us some things to work on for this weekend and for next week and I thought we looked really strong in that second half. We looked fit and that is a real positive for us. The guys were pretty bullish in the changing room afterwards thinking we can win this series.” 

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Nickers 20 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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