Rassie Erasmus England shocker: Springbok coach admits he’d love to train a Pom
In a stunning admission that has left South African rugby fans reeling, Rassie Erasmus has confessed he’d actually want to coach an England player. The audacity.
Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has committed what some might call treason, revealing that he’d love to coach England prop Ellis Genge.
The admission came during discussions about player mentality and what makes a fearless forward.
Erasmus praised Genge’s aggressive pre-scrum stare-downs, saying any prop who looks opponents in the eye rather than at his toes is “a dog” he wants on his team.
According to Ruck magazine, the Springbok mastermind specifically highlighted the Bristol Bears loosehead’s mentality as exactly what he looks for in a player.
Rassie Erasmus England comments: A love-hate relationship gone wrong
Let’s get one thing straight.
We’ve beaten England 28 times in 46 Test matches. That’s a 60.8% win rate that includes demolishing them in not one but two World Cup finals. We owned them 15-6 in Paris in 2007, then absolutely destroyed them 32-12 in Yokohama in 2019.
These are the statistics that warm South African hearts on cold winter nights. These are the numbers we recite to our children at bedtime.
And yet here’s Rassie, the architect of our 2019 and 2023 World Cup triumphs, saying he’d actually want to coach one of them.
Ellis Genge gets Rassie Erasmus seal of approval
To be fair to the “Baby Rhino”, Genge does have a reputation.
The 30-year-old Bristol-born prop has been causing mayhem since his England debut in 2016.
He captained Leicester Tigers to Premiership glory in 2022 before heading home to Bristol Bears.
The man doesn’t back down from anyone, which apparently Erasmus finds admirable.
But still. An Englishman, Rassie? Really?
Which Springboks would Steve Borthwick want then?
Of course, the real question is which Springboks would Steve Borthwick fancy in his England setup?
We’re guessing all of them!
Pieter-Steph du Toit? Eben Etzebeth? Cheslin Kolbe? Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu? Siya Kolisi? The list writes itself.
The difference is, we don’t need to ask.
We already know England would take any of our World Cup winners in a heartbeat. They’ve been trying to figure out how to beat us for decades.
Springboks England rivalry: Some things are sacred
Perhaps this is just another one of Rassie’s famous mind games.
The man lives rent-free in the heads of referees and opposition coaches worldwide. Maybe he’s trying to unsettle Steve Borthwick’s squad by complimenting one of their props. Classic Rassie.
Or maybe, just maybe, even the greatest rugby tactician of our generation can occasionally spot quality across enemy lines.
We suppose if you squint really hard and ignore the white jersey, Genge does embody that Springbok physicality we pride ourselves on.
Still doesn’t make it easy to swallow though. Next thing you know, he’ll be praising their scrummaging technique or admitting he enjoys a cup of tea.
Some things should remain sacred. Like braais, biltong, and beating England at rugby. Don’t make us question everything, Rassie.