Rassie Erasmus' genius started long before coaching glory, says former Bok boss

Nick Mallett has offered a revealing insight into the "extraordinary rugby brain" of Rassie Erasmus as South Africa prepare to kick off their Nations Championship campaign at home to England.

Mallett is the former Springboks coach who selected Erasmus for 25 of his 36 caps and appointed him captain on the one occasion he got to lead his country.

Long before Erasmus moved into coaching and became a back-to-back World Cup winner, the English-born Mallett recalls a player who was shy yet "incredibly innovative".

"Let me tell you a story," he says, speaking from Cape Town. "In the very last game I coached the Springboks we played against Australia in Durban.

"The year was 2000 and Rassie was in the starting line-up. In the build-up I gave the guys an analysis of the opposition and how I thought we should play. I signed off by saying, 'if any of you have seen anything I've missed, please come and tell me'.

"Half an hour later, there is a knock on my door and Rassie said, 'Coach, sorry man, can I have a word? I've been through their exit line-out strategy and they always seem to do the same move'.

"'[John] Eales goes forward, plays down to [Jeremy] Paul, Paul plays to [George] Gregan and Gregan plays behind [Toutai] Kefu's back to [Stirling] Mortlock'.

"'Mortlock then sets up the ruck and they've got a left foot with [Chris] Latham and a right foot with [Stephen] Larkham. That's how they exit'.

"I said to him, 'I don't see a problem there, we've got all defensive guys in position'.

"He came back at me with, 'Ya, but you've got me tackling Kefu, and he never gets the ball. I'd like to go for the interception. Can we just get our scrum-half to move into my position, just in case he does give it?'

"I looked at Rassie, thought for a moment, and said, 'Okay, let's do that'.

"Blow me down, 25 minutes into the game, Australia get a lineout in their 22, Eales plays down to Paul, Paul to Gregan, Gregan behind Kefu's back⦠and there's Rassie, darting in to make the interception before taking the ball over the try line and being tackled by Latham and Larkham as he touches down."

The reason this anecdote has not surfaced before now is what happened next. Kiwi referee Paul Honiss chalked off the score and Australia went on to win 19-18 with Mortlock's last-gasp penalty giving the Wallabies their first Tri-Nations title.

"You won't believe this," Mallett continues. "That was the very first time a TMO was asked by a referee, 'Did you see the ball grounded?'

"Clearly, you couldn't, because Rassie had two Australians on his back. One of them actually ruffled his hair and said, 'well done' type of thing to him. There was no way either could have held the ball up.

"But in answer to the specific question the TMO said he couldn't actually see the ball grounded so the try wasn't awarded.

"After that they changed the protocol to 'Is there any reason I can't award a try?' It was too late for us, we lost by one point. And too late for me, as it was my last time in charge.

"I'm not sure Rassie would have saved my career even had the try been given and we won. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting on very well with the South African Rugby Union at the time and they were quite keen to get rid of me.

"But that day he showed himself to be a player ahead of his time in the way he thought about the game. An incredible innovator."

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