Peter O’Mahony on what Rassie Erasmus does better than almost any other coach
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The fear.
Former Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony has offered a fascinating insight into what makes Rassie Erasmus such an effective coach after working under the Springbok boss at Munster.
Erasmus spent just over a year with the province before returning to South Africa in 2017, where he would go on to play a central role in the Springboks winning back-to-back Rugby World Cups.
Speaking to The Guardian, O’Mahony believes his ability to manage and motivate players is among the best he encountered during his career.
“The way he manages players is superb and how he frames games, and sets up training, is really excellent,” O’Mahony told The Guardian.
“The way he motivates is up there with the best, and his ability to motivate South Africa is clearly at an even higher level.
“He is also able to put a bit of fear into you, the fear of losing, the fear of not performing.”
O’Mahony also revealed that Erasmus operated a “closed-door policy” during his time at Munster but was particularly good at creating an environment for his players and their families.
The former Munster captain admits he was disappointed by the manner in which Erasmus left the province when the opportunity to return home arose.
“But it’s business. Rassie had a career to look after, and when the biggest job for you in the world comes up, of course there’s only one decision to make,” he said.
“He certainly hid it from us, but that’s the way business in life is done.”
O’Mahony has also changed his view on some of the more unconventional methods Erasmus uses to take attention away from his players.
He watched closely as Erasmus once again dominated headlines during South Africa’s recent 3-1 Greatest Rivalry series victory over New Zealand and now believes those tactics can actually be beneficial to the game.
“Now that I’m out of the game, I can say it’s probably good for rugby,” O’Mahony said.
“It gets people talking. It also takes a lot of pressure off the players because everyone’s talking about Rassie.”
O’Mahony ultimately rates Andy Farrell as the best coach he played under, but described Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber as a “world-class ticket” from his time working with the South African pair at Munster.
