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'We'll probably get worse decisions': Another Bok captain calls for action by SARU over Erasmus' saga
By Sam Smith
Former Springbok legend Victor Matfield has become the latest figure from South Africa to call on action from SARU to deal with Rassie Erasmus.
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Matfield, well regarded as one of the game’s all-time greats with 127 tests for the Springboks, joined former captain John Smit to speak out over what has become an ongoing distraction for the Springboks.
Erasmus, fresh off a 12-month ban following the Lions series debacle, received another two-match ban for his activity on social media platform Twitter after South Africa lost to Ireland and France over the last month.
The former Springbok lock called on action from SARU to either stand by Erasmus or silence him after remaining quiet over the matter publicly.
“I think so, we’re in a position where he is our director of rugby and he is the face of SA Rugby,” Matfield told South African publication News24 at an invitational golf tournament.
“He has been tapped on the fingers twice from the IRB (World Rugby) and SA Rugby is saying nothing.
“Either SA Rugby must stand with him and say that they’ll back him 100 percent or someone from SA Rugby needs to talk to [him] and make him stop what he is doing.”
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Matfield feared that the treatment of officials by Erasmus will led to subliminal punishment for the Boks, where calls will start going against them out.
“SA Rugby has to decide what they need to do, but it’s not looking good in the world for SA Rugby and it doesn’t help with the referees, we’ll probably get worse decisions every week.”
2007 World Cup-winning captain John Smit went further than Matfield, calling for action against Erasmus for his ‘undefendable’ approach in airing grievances online.
“It’s hard to defend him,” Smit told BBC’s Rugby Union Daily podcast.
“The way he has approached this is not right. Are you telling me Rassie is the only coach frustrated by a call that has gone the wrong way?
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“Something has to be done. There has to be a line that has to be drawn, and he is making it difficult for his team.
“It’s made us, as a rugby team, so easy to dislike.”
Matfield and Smit are right, Rassie is not the only coach to experience calls going against him, but the gulf in class between Rassie and most coaches is staggering. The bloke needs to move on.
I'm just glad we have neutral refs. The commenters below would love to go back to hometown refs when SA had a winning record against NZ. Hard to believe they still think like they do making excuses for their losses and saying their is NZ bias
Rassie is an embarrassment to Mayfield and Smit as they never did what he did. For many years SA Rugby and the Springboks were blatantly undermined and ruled against on and off the field. Which rugby player made it known like him...take your time...I will wait...This happended not just to the Springboks but to the provincial teams playing against NZ and Australia. #I STAND BY RASSIE
Respect for Smit. Otherwise its a nation of fans and players who are always playing the victim
"we’ll probably get worse decisions every week.”, is Matfield saying that the officials are unprofessional and will punish a team for the actions of the individual (DoR) and a few fans?