In a fiery back-and-forth that could scorch any rugby field, former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains has thrown the book at Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus, labeling him “a very dishonest person.” Mains, who steered the All Blacks to the 1995 World Cup final and later took the helm at the Cats during the 2000 and 2001 Super 12 seasons, rekindled old tensions originating from when Erasmus was his captain.
Erasmus, in his 2023 tell-all autobiography, accused Mains of undermining his training ethic and even suggested Mains was envious of him. The drama escalated during their 2001 tour of New Zealand and Australia, with Erasmus claiming he almost bailed on the tour, alleging racial tension and lack of support from teammates. He criticized Mains for poor prep work, citing a specific incident where Mains failed to realize key Auckland Blues players were injured before a game. “Mains did not study our opponents. Before we played against the Auckland Blues, he said we should be wary of dangermen [flank] Matua Parkinson and [flyhalf] Carlos Spencer. He did not even know that both were injured,” Erasmus penned.
"How Laurie coached and analysed is exactly how I don’t want to be as a coach."
Erasmus also reflected on his personal growth since those fiery days, emphasizing enhanced communication and handling of player grievances as key lessons learned.
Recently, New Zealand broadcaster Dom Harvey confronted Mains with these accusations. The 79-year-old retorted, mentioning another rugby legend’s perspective that contradicted Erasmus’s claims. “Well, it’s funny he says that because Andre Venter, who was a great Springbok, told me ‘Rassie is doing exactly what you did that he hated to do and he refused to do. He is doing that with his players’,” Mains fired back.
Mains didn’t stop there. He charged that the conflict wasn't about rugby at all but stemmed from Erasmus’s lack of commitment to training. “The only reason I had conflict with Rassie, it wasn’t about rugby issues; it was that he didn’t want to train. Maybe he kept himself fit, I don’t know, but if I’d let the whole team be as slack as he wanted to be, there's no way we would have won games.” Mains also hinted at Erasmus’s personal failings, though he chose not to dive into specifics, adding a layer of mystery and scandal to their already tumultuous relationship.
The spat between these two rugby titans continues to stir the pot in the rugby world, proving that sometimes the most intense battles in sports aren't always fought on the field.
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In a fiery back-and-forth that could scorch any rugby field, former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains has thrown the book at Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus, labeling him “a very dishonest person.” Mains, who steered the All Blacks to the 1995 World Cup final and later took the helm at the Cats during the 2000 and 2001 Super 12 seasons, rekindled old tensions originating from when Erasmus was his captain.
Erasmus, in his 2023 tell-all autobiography, accused Mains of undermining his training ethic and even suggested Mains was envious of him. The drama escalated during their 2001 tour of New Zealand and Australia, with Erasmus claiming he almost bailed on the tour, alleging racial tension and lack of support from teammates. He criticized Mains for poor prep work, citing a specific incident where Mains failed to realize key Auckland Blues players were injured before a game. “Mains did not study our opponents. Before we played against the Auckland Blues, he said we should be wary of dangermen [flank] Matua Parkinson and [flyhalf] Carlos Spencer. He did not even know that both were injured,” Erasmus penned.
"How Laurie coached and analysed is exactly how I don’t want to be as a coach."
Erasmus also reflected on his personal growth since those fiery days, emphasizing enhanced communication and handling of player grievances as key lessons learned.
Recently, New Zealand broadcaster Dom Harvey confronted Mains with these accusations. The 79-year-old retorted, mentioning another rugby legend’s perspective that contradicted Erasmus’s claims. “Well, it’s funny he says that because Andre Venter, who was a great Springbok, told me ‘Rassie is doing exactly what you did that he hated to do and he refused to do. He is doing that with his players’,” Mains fired back.
Mains didn’t stop there. He charged that the conflict wasn't about rugby at all but stemmed from Erasmus’s lack of commitment to training. “The only reason I had conflict with Rassie, it wasn’t about rugby issues; it was that he didn’t want to train. Maybe he kept himself fit, I don’t know, but if I’d let the whole team be as slack as he wanted to be, there's no way we would have won games.” Mains also hinted at Erasmus’s personal failings, though he chose not to dive into specifics, adding a layer of mystery and scandal to their already tumultuous relationship.
The spat between these two rugby titans continues to stir the pot in the rugby world, proving that sometimes the most intense battles in sports aren't always fought on the field.