If England head coach Eddie Jones is relieved of his duties, should Rassie Erasmus bid farewell to the Springboks and move office to Twickenham?
Jones is under fire after England, runners-up at the 2019 World Cup, won two of five matches to finish fifth in the 2021 Six Nations. His role in England’s record defeat by Wales and first home loss to Scotland in almost 40 years will be a focal point of the Rugby Football Union’s current campaign review.
Valid or not, the uncertainty around Jones’ future has given rise to speculation about his possible replacement, with former England coach Clive Woodward endorsing Crusaders coach Scott Robertson for the job.
According to a report in The Rugby Paper, Erasmus has been approached to gauge his potential interest in the job, as has Warren Gatland, the man who will guide the British & Irish Lions on a tour of South Africa later this year.
Erasmus was linked with the same job in February last year, and he wasted little time in rubbishing the reports.
The 48-year-old Erasmus is currently working as SA Rugby’s director of rugby, with his close friend and ally Jacques Nienaber stepping up into the role of Springbok head coach post RWC 2019.
The two will work closely together in the lead-up to and during the Lions tour and by the end of the Test series, Nienaber will have overseen a minimum of three Tests at the helm of Boks.
By the end of the Lions tour, Erasmus may feel that he has achieved everything he set out to accomplish in South Africa, the Boks are in good hands and the challenge of rallying a world champion from the Northern Hemisphere for the first time since 2003 is too enticing to ignore. Many are keeping a close eye on developments to see what his next career move will be.
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