Rassie Erasmus compared to DC supervillain as World Rugby urged to intervene
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Rassie Erasmus has been compared to DC supervillain Lex Luthor as World Rugby has been urged to take a stand against the Springbok head coach.
New Zealand-based journalist Gregor Paul has launched a remarkable criticism of Erasmus following South Africa’s 33-26 victory over the All Blacks in Cape Town.
Writing for The New Zealand Herald, Paul argues that Erasmus has crossed the line between pushing rugby’s boundaries and acting outside the spirit of the game.
He believes World Rugby should intervene, pointing to a series of incidents involving the Springbok boss over recent years.
“Erasmus has become all-powerful in the global game, a genuine Lex Luthor figure whose … cunning genius has been to simultaneously unite swaths of the South African population behind the Springboks and sell them as the people’s team, while alienating himself from the global community with his sometimes erratic and ethically dubious behaviour,” Paul wrote.
“The crime sheet is reaching epic proportions, and when it’s laid out, it makes quite the read.
“Erasmus has been one of the great actors in this grey space over the years, but now he seems to have lost sight of what constitutes good theatre.
“He was playing Lex Luthor as a kind of pantomime villain, but now he’s taken him up to the executive suite of LexCorp and turned him into a darker, more conniving, proper baddie.”
Paul points to Erasmus’ infamous hour-long video critique of referee Nic Berry during the 2021 British & Irish Lions series among the incidents behind his argument.
He also takes issue with the events surrounding the second Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
Erasmus named his Springbok side early in the week before making several changes in the days that followed.
That culminated in a complete front-row reshuffle shortly before kick-off in Cape Town, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit promoted to start and Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw dropping to the bench.
Paul argues that the pattern has become paranoid rather than clever and believes South Africa’s success has contributed to a growing sense of impunity.
He also believes World Rugby should, at minimum, reprimand Erasmus for swearing during his explosive post-match press conference on Saturday.
Erasmus had strongly rejected suggestions from the All Blacks camp that the Springboks were illegally “walking around” at scrum time.
The extraordinary exchange has added another layer to an increasingly heated series, which now heads to FNB Stadium level at 1-1 ahead of Saturday’s third Test.
