‘Before he came, I don’t think the Boks had addressed some of the stuff we struggled with’

World Cup-winning loosehead Thank you Mtawarira has lauded Springboks director of rugby Race Erasmusgiving an perception into a person who refuses to simply accept the established order.

Speaking on the Rugby World Cup 2023 Official Podcast in Paris, the previous Bok prop heaped reward on his former coach, hailing him as a trailblazer who by no means hesitates to problem the norms in rugby. Mtawarira’s remarks make clear the distinctive teaching fashion and management qualities of Erasmus, which have made a major affect on the game.

Reflecting on his time below Erasmus’s tutelage, Mtawarira remarked: “He likes to go in opposition to the grain a little bit bit.”

The former Springbok player was quick to acknowledge Erasmus’s impressive achievements, emphasizing the respect he has for the coach. However, he also acknowledged that Erasmus’s tendency to express his opinions vehemently in the media was unexpected to some, saying, “Yes, I know he got his rants in the media. Sometimes he does things you wouldn’t expect of him, but he’s that kind of guy. He likes to shake the tree a bit.”

At the core of Erasmus’s personality is an unwillingness to accept the status quo.

“He’s the type of guy who doesn’t accept things as they are. If there’s something wrong and he doesn’t agree with it, he’s going to speak up.”

This refusal to accept mediocrity has been pivotal in driving positive change within the Springbok team.

Mtawarira also recognized the transformative impact Erasmus had on the team’s culture. Before the coach’s arrival, the Springboks struggled to address certain cultural issues. Mtawarira explained, “Before he came, I don’t think the Springboks had addressed some of the stuff that we used to struggle with, with our culture. We didn’t really embrace the diversity and landscape of South Africa. He’s very good at speaking about the elephant in the room.

“He does that in the media. He addresses stuff with the referees. It might make a few people uncomfortable, but I think in the end, the end goal is achieved.”

In the aftermath of the pool stage loss to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup in Japan, the then head coach’s impact was key.

“The changing room was quiet. We made little errors which cost us the game in the end.

“The players literally had doubt on their faces. I had doubt on my face. We’d been concentrating for two years on his specific game.

“There was one man in that altering room that was constructive. It was Rassie. He straight up mentioned. ‘I promise you. I’ll present you the footage. We didn’t play badly. We simply made a number of errors. We will repair them and go on and win the World Cup’.

“I believed him. It took a little bit little bit of time.’