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Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus had put to bed rumours linking him with a role with the IRFU following the Rugby World Cup.
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Erasmus had been linked with a number of roles with the Irish union, which flooded in on the back of head coach Jacques Nienaber confirming he would be joining Irish URC giants Leinster. Assistant coach Felix Jones is also moving on to a new role with England Rugby starting in 2024.
While he didn’t confirm any other move, Erasmus said there was no truth linking him to return to Ireland. Erasmus previously coached Irish province Munster before joining the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign, but he’s not planning a return anytime soon.
“No, I won’t be. There have been no talks and there is no truth in that. I am not sure where it started but definitely not. I haven’t chatted to them and I am definitely not following Jacques [Nienaber].”
Erasmus also had some words for effervescent Ireland flyhalf Johnning Sexton: “He is vital in my opinion. When I was at Munster, we beat them [Leinster, where Sexton plays] once. Whenever Johnny is in the team a lot of things happen, not just as a player, I think the aura around him and his presence. For a man at 38 to score tries like he did this weekend… As long as he is physically out there, there is no doubt about [his influence].
“The aura he has about him is exceptional, not just for his own team but very intimidating for us as the opposition.”
He was also quizzed on the possibility of a seven-one split on the bench: “I don’t think we can go eight-zero, that is a bit extreme. But seven-one is definitely an option. I think there is a lot of teams doing a lot of innovative things. We saw Portugal who did the fantastic front-of-lineout move, sometimes when you do things you did many years back people see it as innovation but it is just some stuff you remember worked way back.
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“The six-two a couple of years back was new to people and now a lot of teams are doing six-two. If you go seven-one you have to have players like Kwagga Smith, someone that is used to playing at the sevens level against Fiji. Then again, you have guys like Johnny Sexton who can exploit it when you get an injury early in the game.”
Up until now, I didn’t think it would happen again. But I think there is a very good chance of a 7/1 split this weekend.
The game time of various players all over the place this weekend in the backline - and his quip about 8/0 split…
It would be very risky - but even if the 7-1 split backfired and they lost against Ireland, they have a tough QF no matter what.
Also, let’s not write off Scotland completely. I maintain they can beat Ireland… so why not gamble with the 7/1?
Jacques you Bliksem!
Rassie is messing with the Irish team's heads.
What he is really saying is that Sexton is a 38 year old man that will be relentlessly targeted by 120kg Pieter Steph Du Toit, 118kg Duane Vermeulen and 113kg Andre Esterhuizen.
Sexton should do all he can not to be trapped in possession.
What ever else you say about Rassie nobody can contest that he gets into the opposition's heads.