When Rassie Erasmus parachuted into Munster back in 2016, he could barely have imagined the storm he’d weather. Initially signing on as the director of rugby, he found himself thrust into the head coach role following the tragic loss of Anthony “Axel” Foley. Peter O’Mahony, the former Ireland flanker, reflects on the whirlwind impact Erasmus had during that turbulent time, describing him as “the right coach at the right time” for the beleaguered squad.
O’Mahony shared on The Good, Bad & The Rugby podcast, “Yeah, he’s completely mental – but in a good way. He was exactly what we needed at the time. After Axel passed away, we were completely lost, and Rassie had to step in. He went back to basics: turning up properly for training, no shortcuts, no excuses. He got rid of the nonsense in the club and gave us real clarity.”
“He takes a huge amount of pressure off the players. He’ll absorb all the media attention himself – either by creating a distraction or by putting it on his shoulders if we lost. Publicly it was never on the players, even if he gave us a hard time in the changing room.”
O’Mahony lauded Erasmus’ pre-game pep talks, revealing, “His ability to wind you up emotionally is unbelievable. He’d tell these powerful stories from his own career, and you couldn’t help but react. I’ve seen the same kind of speeches in Springbok documentaries – he was using those with us too.”
While Erasmus could be seen as demanding, he fostered a supportive atmosphere, contrasting him with his successor. “Compared to someone like Johann van Graan, who had a real open-door policy, Rassie’s door was firmly closed. He’d say, ‘If you’ve got a serious problem and you’ve tried to sort it out yourself, then come to me.’ He was very much in charge.”
Yet, his care extended beyond the pitch. “But he also looked after us – setting up family boxes at the stadium, a crèche for the kids. His attitude was: ‘Tell me what you need so you can focus only on performing.’ Then he sorted the rest. At training, though, there were no excuses.”
“It’s the same now with South Africa: if you can’t train on Monday, you’re not available for selection,”
O’Mahony said, highlighting the rigorous standard Erasmus set. “He had that same rule with us at Munster. You had to pitch up, even at 60 or 70%, otherwise you weren’t being picked. It changed the whole attitude around the squad.”
Indeed, Erasmus was not just a coach but a pivotal figure who reshaped Munster rugby during a critical period, proving himself as nothing short of brilliant.
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When Rassie Erasmus parachuted into Munster back in 2016, he could barely have imagined the storm he’d weather. Initially signing on as the director of rugby, he found himself thrust into the head coach role following the tragic loss of Anthony “Axel” Foley. Peter O’Mahony, the former Ireland flanker, reflects on the whirlwind impact Erasmus had during that turbulent time, describing him as “the right coach at the right time” for the beleaguered squad.
O’Mahony shared on The Good, Bad & The Rugby podcast, “Yeah, he’s completely mental – but in a good way. He was exactly what we needed at the time. After Axel passed away, we were completely lost, and Rassie had to step in. He went back to basics: turning up properly for training, no shortcuts, no excuses. He got rid of the nonsense in the club and gave us real clarity.”
“He takes a huge amount of pressure off the players. He’ll absorb all the media attention himself – either by creating a distraction or by putting it on his shoulders if we lost. Publicly it was never on the players, even if he gave us a hard time in the changing room.”
O’Mahony lauded Erasmus’ pre-game pep talks, revealing, “His ability to wind you up emotionally is unbelievable. He’d tell these powerful stories from his own career, and you couldn’t help but react. I’ve seen the same kind of speeches in Springbok documentaries – he was using those with us too.”
While Erasmus could be seen as demanding, he fostered a supportive atmosphere, contrasting him with his successor. “Compared to someone like Johann van Graan, who had a real open-door policy, Rassie’s door was firmly closed. He’d say, ‘If you’ve got a serious problem and you’ve tried to sort it out yourself, then come to me.’ He was very much in charge.”
Yet, his care extended beyond the pitch. “But he also looked after us – setting up family boxes at the stadium, a crèche for the kids. His attitude was: ‘Tell me what you need so you can focus only on performing.’ Then he sorted the rest. At training, though, there were no excuses.”
“It’s the same now with South Africa: if you can’t train on Monday, you’re not available for selection,”
O’Mahony said, highlighting the rigorous standard Erasmus set. “He had that same rule with us at Munster. You had to pitch up, even at 60 or 70%, otherwise you weren’t being picked. It changed the whole attitude around the squad.”
Indeed, Erasmus was not just a coach but a pivotal figure who reshaped Munster rugby during a critical period, proving himself as nothing short of brilliant.