Rassie Erasmus says that the Springboks are taking nothing for granted when mastermind strategist Eddie Jones brings the Wallabies to Pretoria for the Rugby Championship opener next weekend.
South African rugby fans need no introduction to Jones, who has been a constant part of the script as both villain and hero from his days coaching the Brumbies and his first stint with the Wallabies to his role as a technical analyst to Jake White’s 2007 World Cup winners.
Jones broke Springbok hearts when his Japan side provided one of the game’s greatest upsets at the 2015 World Cup and was set to coach the Stormers, before the RFU came knocking and snatched him up as England coach.
Having been part of the Test rugby coaching reshuffle that saw Australia, England and Wales make changes to their staff, Jones will resume his rivalry with South Africa when the Wallabies travel to Loftus Versfeld for the 8 July clash.
“I was part of the Bok group before I moved to the Stormers, and Eddie came in,” Erasmus smiled, when asked about his Australian counterpart. “He knows South Africans very well and he’s worked so widely around the world to broaden his coaching vision.
“I always feel that a South African working with South Africans will get the best out of South Africans and I think an Australian working with Australians will get the best out of them.
“It took Jacques (Nienaber) and me a while to get used to how things worked at Munster, how they operated and what was important and what wasn’t.
“Eddie knows the Aussie setup. He has been there. The interesting thing would be as to where his assistants worked because they’ll bring in different flavours to the party.”
Jones has already started the mind games ahead of the Test, saying that uncapped Melbourne Rebels flanker Josh Kemeny could be utilised on the wing for the Wallabies as preparations continue for the World Cup.
“Some of those centres and wingers that they have are bigger than flankers,” Erasmus said. “Eddie always plays one or two mind games because he’s the kind of guy who can do stuff like that.
“I think he’s got some rugby league guys in as well and he’s got a massive coaching staff, but because of his experience, he can get people aligned in a short space of time. He is the kind of guy who is not afraid of doing things like that.
“It’ll be one of Eddie’s challenges that we have to deal with.”
Erasmus was joined by Jacques Nienaber and Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi in Tuesday’s press conference in Pretoria.
Mbonambi admitted that Jones’ mental games would be difficult to avoid, but said the Bok players will be keeping their eyes on the prize.
“Personally, I try not to entertain it, but it’s going to be everywhere in the media,” Mbonambi said. “Even if you try to avoid them, you’ll hear about them everywhere. However, we hardly entertain it, and as players, we knuckle down and make sure we make every day count at training.
“Every sport has its mind game and when you see them in the NFL, they take it to another level.”
Photo: Gallo Images/Steve Haag