Rassie Erasmus Expresses Support for Warren Gatland Ahead of Wales-South Africa Clash

Rassie Erasmus’ initial match as South Africa’s coach was against Warren Gatland’s Wales in June 2018, held in Washington DC, where Wales secured a 22-20 victory. The upcoming Autumn Nations Series fixture between Wales and South Africa is scheduled for Saturday, 23 November, at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with kick-off at 17:40 GMT. Coverage will be available live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, and via live text and commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. South Africa’s coach, Rassie Erasmus, who has led his team to two World Cup titles, has offered his backing to Wales boss Warren Gatland, who is currently facing significant pressure, prior to their Autumn Nations Series encounter in Cardiff this Saturday. Wales’ recent 52-20 loss to Australia marked a record 11th consecutive Test defeat for Gatland’s squad, representing the worst sequence of results in the nation’s 143-year rugby history. Since returning for his second tenure as head coach in December 2022, Gatland has overseen only six wins in 23 Tests, contributing to Wales’ drop to 11th in the global rankings. As the world champions prepare to face Wales this weekend, questions persist regarding Gatland’s future. Erasmus stated, “Warren can’t all of a sudden become a bad coach with his track record.” He added, “The players that they have, if you look at them individually, there are some world-class players in there.” Erasmus continued, “I know the record of losing 11 on the trot is not great. I just know Warren is a great coach and I know they’ve got great players. “It’s not quite clicking, but he is a guy who has fixed things before.” Erasmus and Gatland have previously coached opposing teams for Wales and South Africa, and they were the rival head coaches when the Springboks triumphed over the British and Irish Lions in 2021. “We’ve had good discussions. I think it was in Twickenham where we last saw each other last summer,” Erasmus commented. He further explained, “We had a good chat there about the Lions series. Although we’ve bumped heads in the past, he’s a rugby man through and through.” Erasmus reflected, “Coaching can become lonely, It’s cut-throat. Whenever someone is under the pump, you don’t wish anything bad on that person.” He concluded, “I wouldn’t say I’d love him to beat us, but I’d love him to be successful. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and hope he gets the respect from everyone he deserves.” Erasmus assumed leadership of South Africa in 2018 during a period of struggle for the Springboks, subsequently guiding them to World Cup victories in both 2019 and 2023. “It’s tough to talk about other people’s situations, but I can try and put myself in Warren’s [shoes] because I have been there before,” Erasmus remarked. He elaborated, “Sometimes you just turn it around because players believe in a coach, sometimes you just say a right word and the players say they are going to do it for the coach and the country.” Regarding the upcoming match, Erasmus noted, “We are preparing for the Wales we know. We find them very similar to Argentina, almost like South Africans, in terms of people working hard and players who have ground it out before.” He characterized Wales as “a team with everything to gain and nothing to lose.”