The South Africa director of rugby should stop slamming officials and analyse the failings of his own coaches and players
The very best coaches in the world love to have control over everything. We see it with Eddie Jones and England all the time and when those coaches feel like they lose control, they act. Rassie Erasmus evidently feels like control has been lost, that Warren Gatland has seized the initiative and that he has had to respond. This week, just as he wants his players to, he has gone on the front foot. And how.
I almost see it as an acknowledgment that the Lions have outplayed South Africa in the press and Rassie has been desperate to change that. Clearly he perceives there to have been a lack of respect shown towards his players by last week’s officials. He sees the British & Irish Lions as being treated like royalty compared to the Springboks and he has taken unprecedented action in an attempt to put that right. He repeatedly used the word “respect” but I’m not sure you gain any more respect by coming out in the media, slamming referees and putting pressure on them. Sometimes you reap what you sow.
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