Rassie's team to support all SA franchises

REACTION: All four South Africa’s four Super Rugby teams will get support from the Rassie Erasmus and his Springbok coaching team in the 2019 season.

Recent reports suggested that Erasmus would be involved in the coaching structures at the Bulls in 2019.

In fact, the Bulls on Tuesday confirmed that Erasmus will be available to “mentor” new coach Pote Human and his team during the pre-season and heading into Super Rugby.

However, the South African Rugby Union said this “privilege” will be afforded to all four franchises.

“SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, as well as Springbok assistant coaches Matt Proudfoot, Mzwandile Stick and Jacques Nienaber, along with Springbok head of Athletic Performance Aled Walters, will be deployed to the [Super Rugby] teams at their request,” SARU said in a statement.

“We started making the national panel available to the franchises a number of years ago and we want to continue to forge closer links between the national coaches and the Super Rugby and Pro14 teams,” Erasmus said.

“All of the coaches worked with one or other of the franchises in the past year to exchange ideas and expertise and hopefully assist the teams in raising the performance bar. Strong performances at franchise level will translate into strong Springbok performances – it’s a win-win.”

Erasmus said the national coaches would in no way be dictating style or tactics or trying to impose a national blueprint on teams.

“We will assist in generic areas such as skills and conditioning, mauling, scrumming and line-outs,” said Erasmus.

“It will also give the national coaches a chance to discuss individual players with the franchise coaches and work on specific areas for specific individuals.

“But it is not our role to have input on selection or gameplan – that can only be determined by the franchise head coach. But we do believe this is approach can work for South African rugby in its broadest sense at the start of a very important Rugby World Cup year.”

The Super Rugby season kicks off on February 16.