The Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald yesterday confirmed that the province's newly appointed director of rugby, Johan 'Rassie' Erasmus, will supersede existing head coach Anthony Foley by having a track-suited hands-on role as well as the responsibility for selecting the team each week.
That much was made crystal clear when Fitzgerald was asked who would pick the team and simply stated: “The director of rugby.”
Fitzgerald said the new man, who has agreed a three-year deal, will also have a say in the recruitment of an unspecified number of overseas signings, as well as further changes in the coaching ticket.
Fitzgerald confirmed that Mick O’Driscoll, nominally a technical adviser but the de facto lineout coach, will temporarily suspend his coaching career to concentrate on his business interests in a nursing home, and that defence coach Ian Costello has accepted an appointment abroad, which is believed to be with Nottingham.
The positions regarding backs coach Brian Walsh and scrum coach Jerry Flannery are still to be resolved, although Walsh is rumoured to be returning to banking.
Fitzgerald said that the name of Jacques Nienaber, a colleague of Erasmus with the South African Rugby Union’s rugby department who has been linked with the role of Munster defence coach in the South African media, had not been mentioned.
When it was put to Fitzgerald that Foley had been undermined, the CEO said: “That’s a question you can give a lot of answers to really. We did this in consultation with Axel. I am sure it’s a challenge for himself.
“He has got a great rugby brain. He has got a rugby coaching ability that has been complimented by everyone that has worked with him. There were some challenges that came across the desk, especially when results are going against you. You become the focus of a lot more attention.”
Honest and straight
Fitzgerald cited how Foley had worked with Andy Farrell on a consultancy basis during the season, and that Foley himself might consider himself undermined prompted Fitzgerald to remark: “I would think if you fellas would like to think he is undermined you could think he is. But [not] from the discussions I have had with him, and they have been long, honest and straight on the thing itself. You can get that perception. He could have that himself, but I don’t think so.”
That Foley has seemingly been demoted was re-enforced by his own manner when questioned about the hiring of Erasmus. Whether it was the timing of the press release confirming the Erasmus appointment, just as Foley met the media and an hour before Fitzgerald spoke, or recent results and the onset of the Edinburgh match, or maybe the appointment itself, Foley seemed less than enamoured with it all.
Confirming that he had neither met Erasmus nor been involved in the process (each with the word “no”), Foley said of the appointment: “I think it’s quick. I think the PGB have done a good job in getting someone in place as quickly as they did. That’s it.”
What do you hope he will bring?
"Results," said Foley, cryptically. "Isn't that the hope for everyone? No, look, he has a different opinion, comes from a different way of doing it. He comes from a high performance unit within South Africa. He has played, worked at the highest level, so other than that I'd say ye have more information on those sheets of paper in front of ye than I do."
How do you envisage working with him?
“We’ll see.”
As to Foley’s interpretation of the role of a director of rugby, he said: “I have asked that question and it’s what the person makes of if, so that is something ye can talk to Garrett about.”
Agency
Erasmus, who was appointed after Munster hired both an international consulting agency and dovetailed with the IRFU’s
David Nucifora
, comes with an extensive CV.
The 43-year-old won 36 caps for the Springboks, once as captain, in a playing career that took in the Free State Cheetahs and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup, and for the Cats and the Stormers in the Super 12. He captained the Cats to the 2000 Super 12 semi-finals.
As a coach, he guided the Cheetahs to Currie Cup success in 2005 – their first since 1976 – and then the Cheetahs upon their entry into the Super 14 in 2007.
He twice served as technical director to the Springboks in the World Cups of 2007, which they won, and 2011, and has been head coach of the Stormers and director of coaching at Western Province.
In latter years he has served as the general manager of the South African Rugby Union’s high performance role.
“He’s a charismatic man, he has a great presence,” said Fitzgerald. “You could see straight away he’s a good management ability in relation to all the work he’s done as a player, as a leader on the field as a coach and what he achieved with the Cheetahs, especially from starting off and all that.”
In Munster’s press release, Erasmus was quoted as saying: “It is an opportunity which comes with a huge responsibility not only to the club who has a proud 137-year history, but also the supporters and the wider community.
“It is a challenge which I humbly accepted but with a clear desire to use all my past experience as a player, coach and administrative high performance manager, to make Munster Rugby one of the top rugby clubs in Europe.”
He’ll have his hands full.
