Erasmus pens support for Eddie Jones in recent article

Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus recently penned an article – published in the Daily Mail – in which he addressed the apparent panic spreading through the English rugby fraternity after the Six Nations competition. 

It was a poor overall showing by England who only managed to win two of their five fixtures, losing out to Scotland, Ireland and the French.  

With the World Cup just 18 months away, calls for Eddie Jones to step away have risen in volume, but Erasmus appears to see the panic as unwarranted. 

Erasmus wrote: 

“I took on my Springboks job 18 months before the World Cup - this time four years ago - and so much can change during that time... You can't look at the latest performances in the Six Nations to determine how teams will perform at the World Cup. 

“England are getting a lot of criticism but they will be strong at the World Cup. Don't tell me Eddie has suddenly become a bad coach.” 

The RFU have taken a firm stance of support for Eddie Jones and insist that his job is safe. 

Erasmus highlighted the Springboks’ losses to Australia and Argentina in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup and emphasised that, in order for a team to grow and evolve, difficult periods occur in which defeat is experienced and learned from. 

“Something might look awful right now but it could be part of the planning,” Erasmus wrote. “Teething problems. There are different mechanics to every organisation so you don't know what's happening behind the scenes. That's why it annoys me when Sir Clive Woodward tells us how to do things in South Africa because he is not privy to what we are really doing.”