Springbok star: What separates Rassie and Jake as coaches
Rassie Erasmus and Jake White are two of the most well-known Springbok rugby coaches, having led the team to three World Cup titles between them.
White of course oversaw the iconic 2007 World Cup triumph, which was the obvious highlight of his four-year tenure, while Erasmus led the Springboks to back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2023.
Since last year’s World Cup, Erasmus has moved permanently back into a role as head coach of the Springboks.
Meanwhile, White remains at the helm of the Bulls, having enjoyed remarkable success since joining the Pretoria-based franchise in 2020.
Talented Springbok newcomer Elrigh Louw is obviously coached by White at domestic level, and he has interestingly revealed that there is a clear difference in styles between him and Erasmus.
“I don’t think I will upset anyone with this but I think Rassie is more hands-on type of guy,” the back-rower said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby South Africa podcast.
“He gets involved in training, running around kicking balls, getting in between rucks, and simulating the opposition.
“While Jake is more of a delegator, or facilitator so he gets his coaches underneath him to buy into his vision and where he wants to go.”
You can see the full interview with the Springbok star below:
Braced for battle against the All Blacks
Louw is expected to retain his place at No 8 for the upcoming Tests against the All Blacks, with Erasmus confirming they will continue to back the next generation of players.
“We are also excited to see what some of the young players can do in these two Tests if they get a run after making a strong impression on the coaches so far this season,” he commented.
“Similarly to the coaches, they are fully aware that this will be a new challenge in intense matches between two of the biggest rivals in world rugby, but the experienced they gained by facing in Australia in two tough Test matches overseas – one of which was in extreme weather conditions – will set them in good stead going into this series.”