When Rassie Erasmus took charge of South Africa back in 2018, they were in a state of total disarray. On and off the pitch, it was a mess.
His predecessor, Allister Coetzee, departed on the back of a dismal run of results and a falling out with the Springboks hierarchy.
Coetzee won only 11 of his 25 Tests in charge. In amongst those results, there was a defeat to Italy and a 57-0 hammering against the All Blacks.
With Erasmus arriving initially as director of rugby, a leaked letter from Coetzee claimed that his bosses were trying to undermine him, and that he would be reduced to a ‘ceremonial coach.’
Given that South Africa also lost to Japan in the pool stage of the 2015 World Cup, albeit they were under the command of Heyneke Meyer back then, the nation was on its knees.
Rassie Erasmus has lead South Africa to successive World Cup victories
Barely 18 months later, Erasmus would lead the Boks to World Cup glory – and so began arguably the most dominant run in the professional era.
Four years later, they defended their crowd and won a second successive World Cup. From the depths of despair, to back-to-back world champions.
In 2021, he also led South Africa to a series victory against the British and Irish Lions, a tour which had no end of off-field controversy.
If the great All Blacks team of McCaw, Carter, Read, Nonu, Savea and the likes set a high bar for greatness by winning the World Cup twice on the spin, the Boks matched it.
The healing hands of Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus were central to that transformation. Few players or coaches tend to polarise opinion quite like he does.
To some, he’s a genius. A motivator, a leader of men whose tactical sorcery and innovation has helped redefine the sport.
To others, he’s an insufferable loudmouth whose outbursts and run-ins with the game’s authorities have, at times, left a sour taste.
What is surely beyond dispute, however, is that Erasmus is the greatest coach of the modern era.
With Scotland preparing to face South Africa in the Nations Championship tomorrow, Gregor Townsend was asked about his counterpart.
They have known each other for a long time, with Erasmus making his debut as a player in the third Test of the 1997 Lions tour.
Townsend missed that game, but the pair would come up against each other years down the line when they were in charge of Munster and Glasgow Warriors.
‘Rassie is obviously the best coach in the world – and has been for a while,’ said Townsend ahead of the clash in Pretoria.
‘He produces winning performances. I think his teams are based on winning. It’s about finding a way to win. They play with an intensity and they work hard for each other.
‘I’ve seen that with the Munster teams and obviously with the Springbok team. He has won two World Cups.
‘He has built incredible strength in depth. The motivation that they have to keep going year after year is also very impressive. They are the best team in the world for a reason.’
Erasmus enjoyed a decent enough playing career. A belligerent back-rower, he won 36 caps for the Springboks between 1997-2001, including the 1999 World Cup.
Erasmus’ Springboks will take on Scotland on Saturday in the Nations Championship
But it was in coaching where the real Rassie emerged. His players would speak of an obsessive attention to detail, his use of analytics, an innovator, and an unapologetic disruptor.
If the deployment of the ‘Bomb Squad’ has become arguably the defining feature of this era of Springbok dominance, Erasmus was the man who lit the fuse.
Simon Zebo, the former Ireland winger who player under Erasmus at Munster, said: ‘Rassie would be No 1 for sure, the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s old school, says it how it is, no BS.’
Eben Etzebeth, the towering lock who has long been the Boks’ enforcer up front, said of his coach: ‘Rassie is a genius. I’m not sure there will be another coach like him.’
Michael Cheika, the former Leinster, Australia and Argentina boss said: ‘You can’t look past a couple who has won two World Cups. He’s built a bit of a monolith.’
Yet, for all his brilliance as a coach, the rap sheet against Erasmus is both lengthy and high-profile.
His willingness to challenge authority has defined his tenure as much as his trophies.
He’s been fined, banned, and publicly rebuked for his outspoken criticism of referees and the governing body.
After the first Test loss to the Lions in 2021, Erasmus unleashed a marathon monologue dissecting referee Nic Berry’s decisions – criticising around 36 calls, accusing officials of bias, and highlighting perceived disrespect toward captain Siya Kolisi.
The Springboks battered England 45-21 at Ellis Park last weekend
The video, which he claimed was intended internally but leaked, was branded an “attack on the impartiality and integrity” of officials.
World Rugby hit him with six misconduct charges. He was banned from all rugby activities for two months, suspended from matchdays until September 2022, and SARU was fined £20,000.
Erasmus later expressed regret over the tone and public fallout but stood by raising concerns.
In 2022, critical tweets about refereeing in losses to Ireland and France earned him a two-week ban. His social media use – provocative posts questioning officials – has repeatedly drawn anger from fans.
Beyond tactics and coaching, Erasmus excels at creating a winning culture. He made Siya Kolisi the first Black captain and built an environment of genuine transformation and belonging.
His half-time talks are the stuff of legend – raw, motivational masterpieces about fighting for something bigger than rugby.
One rousing World Cup Final speech urged his players to tackle ‘for the next Siya’ and embrace their special bond.
Erasmus is already eyeing an unprecedented third straight World Cup. This golden era of Springbok dominance is already a hell of a legacy, but it could yet get even better.
Love him or hate him, he has proven himself to be the finest coach of his generation. World rugby would certainly be a lot more dull without him.
