One of the things that makes Rassie Erasmus’ continued success at the helm of the Springboks such a unique thing in World Rugby is his openness to bring in new voices, new ideas and intellectual property from around the world.
Compared to previous Bok coaches, who were hamstrung by using local coaching expertise only, Erasmus has broken the mould with the appointment of Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery from Ireland and Tony Brown, the former All Black that has transformed the team’s attacking play over the last year or so.
Now, ahead of their season-opener against England on Saturday, it could be that one more appointment could well tip the scales for Erasmus and the Boks this weekend when Steve Borthwick’s England side come calling.
The appointment of Joe Lewis - the long-time backroom confidante of Borthwick a few months ago into the position of technical analyst has gone largely unnoticed - until this week, that is, when the two sides will head into the Joburg cauldron to do battle once again.
While it is standard these days that coaches hop across international borders and share IP with others - Borthwick himself spent a week at the Bulls and a week at the Stormers before he became a fulltime coach, there is a tantalising storyline along with appointing a former confidante of your opposition to help you going forward.
TOP CLASS ANALYST
By all accounts Lewis is a top class analyst and the Boks certainly wouldnt have appointed him just for this game, even though it is a talking point as we head to Ellis Park. What most fans would have realised by now is that nothing is done by chance and everything is done to ensure the Boks have the most competitive edge ahead of their tough test season.
In that regard, Lewis is a good appointment because he will have precisely the skills that Erasmus feels is needed. And there will be more appointments likely to come, as Erasmus hinted at, at this team-announcement on Monday.
Lewis comes with a lot of experience, having been in England’s backroom for the last two World Cups. In that time England met South Africa in the 2019 final and the 2023 semifinal, both won by the Boks, but there would have been something that Erasmus pinpointed that would have impressed him, and when the analyst was open for a new job, the Boks pounced.
Lewis grew up in Wales and worked in Australia and New Zealand before heading back and working with the Ospreys and Scarlets and by all accounts he knows his stuff.
But would that really give the Boks an advantage? Well, not in the most obvious sense of him going up against his former side, but rather than in a game of inches, every little advantage counts.
PROUDFOOT BELIEVES IT WILL BENEFIT BOKS
Erasmus has always been a technical fundi, and anything that adds to that will be welcomed by the Boks.
Back when he was appointed, Matt Proudfoot, who left the Bok coaching set-up to work with England, thought Lewis was a shrewd appointment by Erasmus.
“The way the English structures were set up, Joe worked closely with the defensive and forward sections of the game,” Proudfoot told Rapport. “He spent a lot of time with [then England’s forwards coach] Steve Borthwick and they had a very good relationship.
“Steve is one of the best forward coaches I’ve worked with, and Joe understood lineouts and rolling mauls exceptionally well. In the time he was there, England probably played around 40 tests without conceding a rolling maul try.
“He’s outstanding at analysing opposition strengths and weaknesses. He gives coaches the data and preparation needed to make the right decisions and pass on the right messages to players.”
NORMAL PART OF INTERNATIONAL RUGBY
Erasmus was obviously flooded with questions about Lewis’ appointment from the English press, but wasn’t about to give those asking the headlines they were seeking. He did say that Lewis’ knowledge would benefit the Boks, but brushed it aside as a normal thing in modern rugby.
“Without a doubt it is an advantage,” Erasmus said on Monday.
“It is like when Matt Proudfoot moved away from us in 2019 and the next year we played England. There’s a guy called Byron McGuigan and he spent a whole week with us as Sale Sharks coach and I am pretty sure he has a lot of stuff about our setup.
“Eddie Jones moved from England to Australia and then Australia to Japan so obviously some IP gets transferred and it is the same with Joe.”
Erasmus said Lewis’ appointment had strengthened their analysis department and he felt more analysts were needed by the double World Cup holders if they were to keep their competitive advantage over the chasing nations.
“We always had only one analyst but when you look at any of the tier-one nations some have five and I think the French have got eight guys. I know England also have a lot.
“We were looking for another analyst and Joe was available. Obviously we scan everywhere. Paddy [Sullivan, the Springboks second analyst] is an Irishman but he worked in the French league a lot so you get some good info and some good things that they do in the league analysis-wise.
“If you get a guy of his calibre available it is just fantastic to have him here and he was available.”
So in the context of a one-off Nations Championship test, this is nothing more than a talking point, but in the long run if Lewis sharpens the Bok analysis even more, it could lead to a number of greater, much more notable things.
And that would have been Rassie’s planning all along.
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