Easter talks up Sharks and a Red Rose RWC resurrection

● Nick Easter arrived in Durban with a very clear brief ahead of Super Rugby. High on his to-do list was to bring clarity to an area where many shades of grey reside.

“I wanted to have a focus on getting the basics right. Not overcomplicating things,” said Easter about the ruck.

As forwards and breakdown consultant, Easter was last year part of the set-up that surged to the Currie Cup title. Before it, however, the team wasn’t exactly bursting with confidence.

“They were disappointed with their Super Rugby campaign. They had a great record against the Kiwi sides, poor against the Aussies.

“They were up and down. A lot of work went into their mental strength and attitude as well as the culture of the place. During the Currie Cup we got total buy-in from the team. The guys worked more for each other, not that they didn’t before. There was a bit of self-sacrifice.

“And as coaches we had to make sure these guys take something away at the end of the day. You have to demand high standards. They are learning and getting better as a result.”

Easter, who has dropped anchor in uMdloti with his wife and newborn daughter, was surprised to discover the Sharks scored just one maul try in Super Rugby last year. “That is a traditional SA strength, especially if you look at the personnel they have. You don’t want to be a one-trick pony but you have to be efficient and play to your strengths. You don’t have to overcomplicate rugby because it’s about the side working hardest and doing the basics the best.”

Easter, a veteran of 54 Tests and 281 appearances for Harlequins, found a path to Durban partly through the help of Pieter Kruger, the former Springbok psychologist.

He quickly made his mark. “For me it was all about developing as a coach,” said Easter who represented Harlequins as player and defence coach between 2004 and 2018. “Rugby has always been an open sport when it comes to the sharing of intellectual property. I was impressed with Rob (du Preez, Sharks coach). I couldn’t believe how open they were. Nothing was a closed book.”

The former barrel-chested backrower comes with experience but he’s also run into a few obstacles. Between 2007 and 2010 he was on the losing side in all six Tests he played against the Boks. Two of those Red Rose defeats came at the Rugby World Cup (RWC) in 2007. He has distinct views on how those teams will do at this year’s instalment.

“I think England are very good bets for the RWC. I think they are the side everyone will be fearing.

“You’ve got to remember that the South Sea Island boys who have played for England have had a huge bearing on their performance. In 2016 when England went unbeaten Billy Vunipola must have been man of the match in half of those games. I think he’s been available for only one or two games in the last two years. When you have him, Mako Vunipola and Manu Tuilagi you have the firepower.

“The Boks have the game plan, the players and the tradition to beat them but they have to turn the corner quickly. Had they beaten New Zealand in Pretoria and England at Twickenham last year it would have put them in a better space. That would have given them a huge boost in confidence. They need to game manage tight matches.

“But I still expect them to go far. I would not be surprised if they won it but I really think they need to take the corner quickly.”