Rugby All Times Greats Selections - Rugby Pass

Rugby Pass is an International Organization and recently had an international competition to be voted on by members and the team elected was as follows:-

Rassie Erasmus, who famously led the Springboks to the 2019 World Cup title, is an incredibly popular figure in South African rugby circles.© Provided by The South African

READ | SPRINGBOKS FINISH THE YEAR AS THE NO 1-RANKED TEAM

However, he has also become a polarising figure in global rugby circles as a result of his strong views and now infamous video criticising referees during the British & Irish Lions series.

Yet it’s clear that his rugby acumen remains as highly regarded as ever.

After an initial RugbyPass Hall of Fame All-Time Fan 1st XV was confirmed, fans have now been given the chance to vote as to which coach should be put in charge of the hypothetical side, which includes Os du Randt, Victor Matfield and Eben Etzebeth.

Erasmus currently holds a slender lead over Steve Hansen, who guided the All Blacks to a remarkable run between 2012 and 2016.

Graham Henry, Wayne Smith, Sir Brian Lochore, Warren Gatland, Kitch Christie, Jake White, Bob Dwyer, Rob McQueen, Eddie Jones, Sir Clive Woodward and Sir Ian McGeechan are the other coaches that trail Erasmus in the voting.

Rassie stepped away from the Boks’ head coach role after the 2019 World Cup and is currently the SA director of rugby overseeing all aspects of the game in the country

In his final year as head coach, he coached the Boks to a Rugby Championship and the World Cup in 2019, and was named World Rugby’s Coach of the Year.

Under Erasmus and his coaching team, the Springboks climbed from seventh to first on the official World Rugby rankings between the beginning of 2018 and end of 2019.

The World Cup was the Springboks’ third overall and first in 12 years, having last won the tournament in 2007.

Current RugbyPass Hall of Fame All-Time Fan 1st XV to be ‘coached’ by Rassie

1. Os du Randt (South Africa, 1994-2007)

2. Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand, 1986-1997)

3. Owen Franks (New Zealand, 2009-2019)

4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa, 2012-present)

5. Victor Matfield (South Africa, 2001-2015)

6. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand, 2004-2017)

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand, 2001-2015)

8. Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia, 2003-2019)

9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand, 2012-present)

10. Dan Carter (New Zealand, 2003-2015)

11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand, 1994-2002)

12. Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand, 2003-2015)

13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland, 1999-2014)

14. Doug Howlett (New Zealand, 2000-2007)

15. Christian Cullen (New Zealand, 1996-2002)

Coach: Rassie Erasmus (South Africa)

What is interesting is that Rassie Erasmus is regarded as the Greatest All-time Coach in the world beating  a long list of coaches and he was not se lected by SA supporters of Rugby Pass only.   

Lots of explanations why an 8 and 5 coach who humiliated himself in front of the whole rugby world is in the lead. The most obvious,  other countries have divided loyalties among several coaches…. South Africans are convinced Erasmus is a genius. But more likely Harrassmiss has created a gazzilion burner accounts all voting for himself.

That's one hell of a side with excellent choices...imagine a side like that ?, almost perfect in every dept but I would prefer Joost to Aaron but only by a whisker. A side like that would need very little coaching, if any.

Mozart in his normal way thinks his opinion is the only one that counts.  The allegation that Erasmus voted for himself many times is total garbage as per normal.   Have you got  any proof of that anyway.   

....and with Nigel Owens as ref (no contraversal rulings ) Rassie as coach (as he in this case more of a team motivator) perfect...no opposition team on earth would stand a snowballs chance of winning against them.

No doubt Harrassmiss is very aware of how to manipulate social media. But clever is not the word I’d use, devious is closer to the truth…I doubt Harrassmiss could pass a matric maths exam.

He should spend more time worrying about the toothless Springbok backline and less time promoting himself. What in heavens name would Harrassmiss do with Cullen, have him kicking up and unders…..hahahaha!

On the team, it’s nice to see Eben and Victor getting the nod, but again Eben being there tells me there is a heavy South African component in the voting. Victor is generally recognized as the best 5 of all time.

Howler ahead of Habana is questionable.

The team doesn’t have one African player…a bit non PC. I would have the Beast ahead of Os just on playing ability.

And the fact that there isn’t a single player who played his rugby prior to 1990 makes a mockery of the ‘all time’ bit.

Mozart 

Since despite your career you have no idea of organizational structures and less idea about HR in any organization.  Erasmus is not the  backline coach.   However, since you also ignore stats when it fits you and use those selectively - why don't you compare the backline scoring  ability of test tries every year since 2007 when the Springboks played Top 10 teams in tests and  then prove  that you in fact has a point about backline  playing ability.    By the way the backline coach is Jones - who was a top class center  less than a decade ago.    So let have your statistical prove and see whether in fact you got a point.   It will also be nice to see how many tries were scored against them in the relevant tests by backline players.     

By the way I agree with you about Matfield up to 2011 - thereafter he became  a liability.     

It’s just the same for a CEO of a Fortune 500 company….you may come from finance or marketing or production….but you need to understand the other functions. One trick ponies like Harrassmiss, all close up shop and wait for mistakes, are not in control of their own destinies. When Oz and England played real rugby, we sucked on the hind tit.

You can delegate but you can’t abdicate. There, now you have learned a basic lesson of organizational design.

Well -spoken like a real rugby idiot.    You make wild claims and cannot substantiate it.   Give us the stats about the latest brain-deficient backline statement for instance.   .   I shall make it easier for you - just look at the figures for 2007 - leaving out the England "C" team that came to SA that year -  and  in 2011,  2015 and 2019. .    

But we were told not to worry….that Harrassmiss would make every crucial decision. So Dave are you telling me that was also a lie?

Mozsart 

Easy toc riticize - you had an excellent opportunity to deal with the issue on a statistical basis - but accusations by you is all one gets from you and any real evidence is absent.   So until you give us the stats - it will be assumed that it is part of your standard verbal diarrhea.    ,      

8 and 5…..losses to the Lions, Oz, ABs, England…..series wins only against the Lions as a result of Harrassmiss intimidating the refs. A humiliating me culpa and apology to Berry.

The only other bad thing that could have happened was losing to the Welsh B team, which we avoided at the 73rd minute.

I think those are the essential stats.

They beat the ABs without Rassie….because it gave the backs a bit of freedom. Harrassmiss against the ABs 1 win in 4 starts. Nienaber 1 win in 2 starts.

Mozart

Are you not tired of repeating the BS stories you thrive on?   You never moaned about backline performance  during the disastrous  period  Meyer was coach and he had five of your heroes in the Springbok backline - but the backline never performed in that series and in the play-offs in the 2015 WC they scored one try and gave away 3.   Meyer himself said that  the backline players of the Springboks did not have the ball skills to play a ball in hand game.   

In the 2019 WC  play-offs the Springboks scored 7 tries and gave away 1.   All the 7 tries were scored by backline players following top class handling and kicking.    The fdifference was in most tries forwards - especially - loosies had a hand in scoring of the tries by being involved in backline attacking moves.   Of the 7 the best individual try was by De Allende who broke three tackles before and when eh scored.    You obviously missed out on that score totally - according to you that try was  scored but De Allende was not given any credit for it.             

So now you make a fool of yourself  by moaning about backline play when previously it was basically non-existent.  So you better start concentrating on facts - not fiction.       

Erasmus agreed every decision….selection, substitution….tactics. The only thing that was missing was him on the field as the water boy. And if that gives the Boks an edge it’s cheating anyway.

Dave when this silly Director of Rugby but Still The Coach thing was announced you opined that he would still be hands on….you can’t have it both ways.

In any case if Harrassmiss was uncomfortable being at the games there was only one person to blame…. Hun himself…..8 and 5 and lucky to get there. The last Lions test, second AB test and even the Welsh test were on a knife edge.

Every major company in the world has been run remotely for much of the last two years…..and a Springbok rugby team can’t be run remotely? Piffle. And if Harrassmiss was AWOL it’s all on him…end of.

Mozart are you really serious about the coaching remotely of rugby players - in companies it may work - in sport it is a joke in bad taste. .  

You seem to have a thing with bad taste….perhaps you should floss and brush with a good toothpaste. Or just avoid touching your food unless you wash your hands. Resolutions for the new year?

Go ask the Marine Corps how well a virtual drill sergeant will get new recruits battle ready...

MEN'S FULL RANKINGS

1 (1) South Africa 90.61

2 (2) New Zealand 88.75

3 (3) England 87.83

4 (4) Ireland 86.53

5 (5) France 85.53

6 (6) Australia 83.92

7 (7) Scotland 83.05

8 (8) Wales 81.56

9 (9) Argentina 80.58

10 (10) Japan 78.26

Gosh, so we lost to the 3rd team and twice to the 6th ranked team and remained number 1.

But at the beginning of the year:

So NZ and England have stayed about the same….Ireland soared….and the Boks plummeted, only maintaining their number 1 ranking because of their starting point. One more year like 2021 and we would be ranked 5.

Mpower,

 Wanker Slick might be in the position of backline coach but he is no more a rugby backline coach that Sharkie.

He is a political appointment forced upon the Springboks simply to enforce their political interference in SA sport.

Not a coaches A...!