‘Rassie will be exceptional in South Africa’
JEAN KLEYN is tipping Rassie Erasmus to turn South Africa into a force to be reckoned with again after he quit Munster last month for the newly-created position of Springboks director of rugby. ‘Rassie is an exceptional coach and an exceptional manager of people and players. If anyone can do the job it is him,’ said South African Kleyn, who isn’t making a big deal about Munster’s decision to appoint another fellow countryman to succeed Erasmus.
‘A lot of people are pointedly asking me that question in terms of, “At least you are getting another South African, you’re going to get along with him”. I would have been happy with any good coach, but he [Johann van Graan] is an exceptional coach.
‘So far, he has had a fairly significant impact, with team values as well. In the actual playing structures, he is just tweaking, he is not making the big changes this year which is a very good thing.
‘From a head coach’s perspective, he is adapting to what we have and is just slowly changing things, small things at a time which is a really good sign from him as a coach that he can take a step back and say, “Look, these guys are doing alright, let’s keep working with what we have instead of throwing out the old plan”.’