Rassie breaks character and sends super classy message to All Blacks
Many people may have forgotten in recent weeks that Rassie Erasmus’ job is still to be the South Africa director of rugby what with the general festivity that has littered his social media accounts.
But the World Cup winning coach took a break from drinking, dancing and sending downright arcane videos to send a message to the All Blacks, describing the Springboks’ fiercest rivals as “great”.
He shared a video of the Springboks’ epic 36-34 win over the then world champions in Wellington in 2018, saying in his caption that his side are trying to be like the All Blacks. He wrote: “Not sure who made this clip, but hell it boosted our confidence!! This is not boasting I promise!! We all are trying to be so consistently great like the All Blacks and I am sure by just looking at our players reaction (just such a big thing for us to win vs AB) Actually just respect.”
Take a look at the video:
Not sure who made this clip,but hell it boosted our confidence!! This is not boasting I promise!! We all are trying to be so consistent great like the All Blacks and I am sure by just looking at our players reaction(just such a big thing for us to win vs AB) Actually just respect pic.twitter.com/Jcxzd5XLDY
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) December 21, 2021
This Rugby Championship match in 2018 has been regarded as a seminal moment in the Springboks’ build up to the 2019 World Cup, and instrumental in Erasmus’ career. The Springboks had lost 57-0 to the All Blacks the last time they were on New Zealand soil in 2017, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Allister Coetze. Erasmus became head coach in early 2018, and the win over the All Blacks later that year was a sign that they were clearly on the right tracks, even though they lost the return fixture in Pretoria.
The Springboks earned a draw against the All Blacks a year later in the Rugby Championship in Wellington before going on to be crowned world champions later that year. Those matches were fundamental to the Springboks’ growth as a team, and it is no surprise that Erasmus has so much respect for the All Blacks.