The real 'genius' of Rassie Erasmus

OPINION: Genius: ‘The set of qualities that makes a person different from others.’

Or, you could say: ‘Rassie Erasmus‘.

Erasmus, the true polymath of Rugby Union, has completely transformed the Springboks from a struggling team ranked sixth into a global powerhouse.

From his first stint as Bok head coach in 2018, through his backroom role to Jacques Nienaber from 2020 to 2023, and a return as the head honcho, he boasts a win rate exceeding 73 percent.

September could mark the Springboks’ one-year anniversary at No.1. They also finished 2024 at the summit of the global standings. They were only briefly dethroned by the All Blacks when South Africa lost to the Wallabies at Ellis Park last August.

The Boks returned to No.1 on September 13, 2025, following a historic 43-10 rout of the All Blacks in Wellington.

Erasmus is on a 10-match winning streak, although this dominant run includes a massive 80-31 win over the Barbarians in a non-cap match in Port Elizabeth.

It is still way short of the 17-game streak in 1997 and 1998, when they equalled the then-world record for the longest Tier One Test winning streak by a major nation (later surpassed by New Zealand).

There was a 12-game run (2008 and 2009) under Peter de Villiers, and a four-game streak against the All Blacks in 2023 and 2024.

However, looking past all those poignant points and the tactical innovations such as the renowned “Bomb Squad”, the real genius is how he deals with injury setbacks and creates depth that is the envy of the rest of the rugby-playing world.

The true measure of his value is how he responds to a crisis.

Ahead of the opening round of the Nations Championship, against England at Ellis Park, South Africa lost their captain, Siya Kolisi and powerhouse lock Eben Etzebeth.

The Boks still dominated, winning 45-21.

They seamlessly slotted in less-capped replacements and shifted players, like new captain Pieter-Steph du Toit, into the second row – with no drop-off in physicality or execution.

And this is where the penny must drop for the unconverted.

Even without eight frontline locks – Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton and utility Ruan Venter – the Boks still have enough depth to change up the locks and move Du Toit back to his preferred position of blindside flank.

As Erasmus pointed out after the England game, before the late changes, the average age of the matchday squad was 31. It ‘only’ dropped down to 27 after the replacements were made.

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For this coming Saturday’s Round Two Nations Championship face-off with Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, the utility factor again comes to the fore.

With Du Toit restored at flank, and two specialist locks in Ruan Nortje and Cobus Wiese, there are also three players with the ability to play in the back row and second row – Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka and Elrigh Louw.

Erasmus has now created the ‘deepest’ squad in the game, allowing him to maintain his win record and seamlessly plug in younger players during matches against top-tier nations.

This unprecedented depth creates an environment where South Africa can potentially field three distinct, competitive international teams.

France is the only nation that appears to have a talent pool with a similar sheer volume of quality players.

However, South Africa’s system benefits from a cohesive, battle-tested tactical style that allows younger players to absorb the Springbok system immediately.

New Zealand, which dominated the game for almost a decade between 2010 and 2018, is in the process of rebuilding and navigating a new era of talent, often lacking the sheer physical redundancy in the forward pack that South Africa enjoys.

Ireland and England both boast exceptional starting XVs and strong academies, but they have shown vulnerability in their depth when sustaining multiple injuries to key spine players.

Australia and Wales are lagging behind the top tier in overall depth.

For those with some rugby savvy, Erasmus is busy building depth that can keep the Boks at the top of the totem pole through to the 2031 World Cup in the United States.

@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com