The case for having Rassie running Irish rugby is compelling
SOUNDBITES on podcasts need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
It’s a medium rife with rumours, hearsay and no shortage of speculation.
So, Victor Matfield’s recent comments about Rassie Erasmus’ seemingly impending appointment as David Nucifora’s successor should be heeded with caution.
For the record, this is what the former Springbok second row told the popular Rugby Pod podcast earlier this week.
‘It sounds like Rassie is going,’ said Matfield, in relation to Erasmus stepping into the role of IRFU performance director next year.
‘He might stay for a few months just to get things in place. But knowing Rassie, knowing Jacques (Nienaber), those two do everything together. So, I think the chances of him going to Ireland must be close to 90 to 95 per cent. The two of them always work together.’
Perhaps Matfield has a good steer on the South Africa supremo’s next move but it sounds like a hunch based on Nienaber linking up with Leinster’s coaching team after the World Cup.
Whether there is any basis for this Erasmus rumour or not, there is no doubt it would be a fascinating move for both parties.
Erasmus can be a divisive figure. There are still plenty of people in Munster who still feel a bit lukewarm about the South African following his premature exit from the province. You can’t argue with his track record, however.
And with Nucifora planning to step aside after a decade in the top gig – arguably the most influential role in Irish rugby – in 2024, the IRFU is on the hunt for a high-calibre candidate.
In terms of a CV, Erasmus fits the bill. Indeed, he could well be the figure who derails Ireland’s World Cup campaign next weekend. That Pool B encounter in Paris is looming large now.
The big worry is that Erasmus has formulated a plan to nullify Andy Farrell’s side at Stade de France.
Erasmus always has a plan. Park all the sideshows around his tweets, the traffic lights and the suspensions, this is one of the shrewdest operators in the game.
You wouldn’t bet against him leading the Boks to back-to-back World Cups in the weeks to come either. The perfect way to sign off before he returned to Ireland to take care of some unfinished business?
Time will tell on both fronts. It would be fitting if Nienaber infused some much-needed Springbok steel in Leinster’s ranks and helped the province land a coveted Champions Cup in the seasons ahead.
It would be fitting if Erasmus returned to Ireland and oversaw a restructure of the system which would finally allow the national team to go deep in the World Cup knockout stages.
Again, we’re dealing in hypotheticals here. But the case for Erasmus as the next IRFU performance director is compelling.
It certainly wouldn’t be dull. Ireland could be building on a ground-breaking legacy or rebuilding from the ruins of another failed campaign. Either way, the IRFU is going to need a big character to take the game forward. Erasmus ticks a lot of boxes.
One thing is certain, he is about to have a big say on Ireland’s World Cup chances.
If we are to believe recent rumours, he could be having a big say on Ireland’s future plans as well.