Eddie Jones says he was blown away by what he found on Rassie Erasmus’ laptop in 2007.
Speaking on the Behind the Ruck podcast, Jones recalled his stint as a Springbok technical adviser under head coach Jake White in 2007, which culminated in a World Cup win in Paris.
“I had the pleasure of taking over Rassie’s computer in the 2007 World Cup, right? He was the technical adviser. And then he went and joined the Stormers [as director of rugby],” Jones said.
“I was there a week for Jake, helping out. And then they offered me the position because I was just in between going to Saracens.
“I’ve never seen such detailed information, you know? And so he [Erasmus] loves rugby.
“He’s a rugby guru. He loves it. He’s prepared to back his ideas and he’s always looking for something new.”
ALSO: Rassie plans for every scenario
Jones said Erasmus’ willingness to innovate has been a defining feature of his coaching career, even if some of those tactics have divided opinion.
“He does the homework, you know? I didn’t enjoy that sort of [midfield] lineout setup he did [introduced in a Test against Italy in Gqeberha last year]. But you’ve got to credit him, it’s showing great initiative. So, he keeps doing that.
ALSO: World Rugby boss lauds Rassie’s innovation
“You know you’re going to win the game [against Italy]. So first scrum, let’s go after them. So he does the deliberate 5m kick off.
“You know, that used to happen 30 years ago in the French league. Montpellier, who had the biggest pack, always kicked the first kick out and then the first scrum, bang, it’s on, big five, here we go.”
EDDIE: Boks may have peaked too soon
Jones also highlighted Erasmus’ biggest strength.
“I think he’s a really clever, good coach. But I think his great attribute is his selection skill. I think that’s what he’s done better than anyone,” he said.
“And he’s obviously got good data, good information. But the way he manages those players is outstanding.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post Eddie: Rassie’s a rugby guru appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
