Adnaan Mohamed in Johannesburg
Sandton City – All Black coach Scott ‘Razor” Robertson regards his Springbok counterpart, Rassie Erasmus, as one of coaches setting the benchmark in international rugby.
Robertson has has a lot in common with Erasmus as a player and coach.
The 50-year-old achieved unprecedented success with the Crusaders in Super Rugby and is known for his trademark breakdance celebrations.
However, he says it remains to be seen if Rassie has the necessary rhythm to emulate his break dance celebrations.
“Yeah, we shared a few beers and a few stories after the games over the years. We have a good sort of rapport and connection,” Roberson told The Athlete at the team hotel on Thursday morning.
“You watch players go into coaching [after their playing careers] and if you look at his journey to where he got to now is pretty remarkable. He has already won a couple of World Cups. He got lights in the [coaching] box and selects seven forwards on the bench.
“It’s awesome and makes you think he is his own man and tells you what’s in his head. He is pretty unique.”
“He is one of the benchmarks [for coaches in World Rugby] for sure and you gotta respect that.
“When it was pointed out to him by The Athlete that Rassie is unable to breakdance like him, he quipped: “Yeah! We’ll have to see what rhythm he’s (Erasmus) got at some stage.”
At the Bok team announcement press conference earlier in the week, Erasmus (51), who played 36 test matches for South Africa from 1997 to 2001 as a loose forward spoke about his long-standing relationship with Robertson.
Erasmus believes under Robertson the All Blacks coaching structure is too good not to get things right.,
“We are more or less the same age and size, although I am now fatter than him,” quipped Erasmus.
“We played [Super Rugby] in the Cheetahs and Cats against the Crusaders against each other.
“I’ve had a few beers with him on many occasions.
“He would know this stadium [Ellis Park] well and you will remember his breakdance when he won the Super Rugby trophy [against the Lions in the 2017 Final].
Just like Erasmus, Robertson was also a loose forward who represented New Zealand in 23 test matches between 1998 and 2002.
Razor won his first Super Rugby title as a coach at Ellis Park after the Crusaders travelled as underdogs in 2017. He went on to win the title a whopping seven consecutive times until 2023.
On Thursday he named he named former captain Sam Cane to start for the All Blacks against South Africa in one of two changes to the starting XV here at Emirates Airline Park.
Cane will make his first start for the All Blacks since last year’s Rugby World Cup final at openside flanker, with captain Scott Barrett to make his return from a finger injury to take his place in the starting lineup at lock.
Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan again favoured on the wings and Tamaiti Williams holding down the loosehead prop with Ethan de Groot (neck) ruled out of the two-test tour. Dalton Papali’i was also ruled out of this test due to a thumb injury.
On the bench, Sam Darry remains in the match-day squad in a reserve role with Barrett’s return, while Samipeni Finau will provide cover in the loose forwards.
“To play South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the greatest tests you can prepare for; we will embrace the occasion,” he said.
“We have a lot of respect for the Springboks and we are looking forward to what will be an electric atmosphere at an iconic venue.”
All Blacks: 15. Beauden Barrett 14. Will Jordan 13. Rieko Ioane 12. Jordie Barrett 11. Caleb Clarke 10. Damian McKenzie 9. TJ Perenara 8. Ardie Savea 7. Sam Cane 6. Ethan Blackadder 5. Tupou Vaa’i 4. Scott Barrett (c) 3. Tyrel Lomax 2. Codie Taylor 1. Tamaiti Williams
Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua 17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi 18. Fletcher Newell 19. Sam Darry 20. Samipeni Finau 21. Cortez Ratima 22. Anton Lienert-Brown 23. Mark Tele’a
