Rassie Erasmus Insists Springboks’ ‘Poaching’ of Former England Analyst Is Nothing Unusual
- The Springboks' latest appointment has sparked debate just days before the blockbuster England Test, but Rassie Erasmus believes the reaction is misplaced
- Questions are being asked about South Africa's newest addition behind the scenes as Erasmus responds to the growing talking point
- The Springbok coach has weighed in on one of the biggest off-field stories ahead of Saturday's showdown with England
Source: Getty Images
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has insisted there is nothing unusual about South Africa's recruitment of England's former senior analyst Joe Lewis ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England.
His comments come after questions were raised about whether the Springboks had gained an advantage by "poaching" a key member of England's backroom staff before the highly anticipated Test at Ellis Park on 4 July 2026.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Erasmus dismissed suggestions that South Africa had done anything out of the ordinary. He said the movement of coaches and analysts between teams is common across international rugby.
Rassie Erasmus says analyst 'poaching' is common in rugby
The Telegraph reports that Lewis joined the Springboks after working as England's senior analyst during this year's Six Nations. He was not bound by a gardening-leave clause in his Rugby Football Union (RFU) contract.
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Erasmus acknowledged that hiring Lewis gives South Africa useful insight, but argued that similar situations happen regularly across the game.
"Without a doubt it is an advantage," Erasmus said. "It is like when Matthew 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.
"Eddie Jones moved from England to Australia and then Australia to Japan, so obviously some intellectual property gets transferred and it is the same with Joe."
He added that the Springboks had simply taken advantage of an opportunity to strengthen their coaching team.
"We were looking for another analyst and Joe was available. Obviously we scan everywhere. If you get a guy of his calibre available, it is just fantastic to have him here and he was available."
Source: Getty Images
Springboks focus on England despite off-field talking point
While Lewis' appointment has become one of the biggest talking points ahead of the Test, Erasmus made it clear his attention remains firmly on England.
The Springbok coach has named one of his strongest available teams for the Nations Championship opener, with Siya Kolisi captaining a side featuring nine players who started the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Manie Libbok has been selected at fly-half in the absence of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse are both set to earn their 50th Test caps.
England expected to provide stern challenge
Erasmus also refused to be drawn into predicting England's starting XV, saying the visitors remain difficult to analyse because of their evolving style of play.
"We have an idea, but it's a guesstimate," Erasmus said. "We look at how they played against France. They are young, energetic and they are a quality side."
The Springboks will now hope to shift the focus from off-field debate to on-field performance as they begin their Nations Championship campaign against one of their biggest rivals.
Springboks suffer fresh injury setback before England Test
Briefly News also reported that the Springboks were dealt an injury blow ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England after utility forward Riley Norton suffered a hamstring injury during training.
The setback forced Rassie Erasmus to reshuffle his squad, with Ethan Hooker returning after a shoulder injury and loose forward Elrigh Louw earning a recall.
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Source: Briefly News
