The game was almost over but, right in front of me on the Twickenham touchline, Rassie Erasmus kept working. South Africa’s director of rugby, who had coached the Springboks to victory in the 2019 World Cup with a side representing every corner of a divided country, kept leading his players against the All Blacks. Using coloured cones, hand signals and verbal instructions, via the water‑carriers, Erasmus was relentless.
His intensity echoed the interview we had done the previous night when Erasmus described his fear of embarrassment, his reputation as the most controversial coach in world rugby, the pain of living with an alcoholic father and why his role in the transformation of South African rugby mattered more to him than winning the World Cup. Eighty minutes into our conversation, Erasmus turned towards New Zealand at Twickenham – his team’s last match before the World Cup.
