Clive Woodward calls for further action against ‘bogus water boy’ Rassie Erasmus

Former British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward has called on World Rugby to throw the book at South Africa director Rassie Erasmus—but not for the offence one might expect.

A World Rugby statement recently confirmed Erasmus will face an independent misconduct hearing for comments he recently made criticising officials Nic Berry and Marius Jonker

Erasmus, 48, has been summoned in response to a 62-minute video he posted following the first Lions Test, which many have suggested had an impact in the rematch, which South Africa won 27-9.

However, Lions coach Warren Gatland was also called to face a hearing for questioning why South African Jonker was the only alternative to New Zealand’s Brendon Pickerill, who withdrew as the original television match official.

Aside from all that drama, it’s Erasmus’ side-job as South Africa water carrier that’s rubbed Woodward up the wrong way.

Gatland, 57, has already called into question Erasmus’ bending of the rules in order to deliver instructions to his players mid-match.

The laws state head coaches are the only personnel prevented from acting as water carriers, but Woodward has called on rugby’s rulers to make an example of Erasmus.

“Meanwhile, it was depressing to see World Rugby belatedly announce an independent investigation into Rassie Erasmus’ long rant last week,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column.

“Too late. It was last week’s story not this week’s but also it is the wrong offence.

“World Rugby need to be looking at his intimidating physical presence on the pitch as a bogus water boy at the same time as those he has been calling out are making key decisions.

“He has been doing it since the South Africa ‘A’ game three weeks ago and that is when World Rugby should have stepped in with decisive action.

“The day after it should either have been a red card — stay in the stands — or, in the bizarre event of World Rugby thinking it is OK, they should have cleared him.

“It is ridiculous for World Rugby to equate Gatland’s justified reaction to their own glaring incompetence in not having a neutral back-up TMO.”

Sharks owner Marco Manotti recently upped the ante after tweeting he had "a team of New York lawyers ready to take care of Rassie and SA Rugby."

One of the key differences between the two coaching outbursts is that Gatland made his at a press conference, where he is liable to be quizzed and challenged by journalists.

Erasmus, on the other hand, posted his video online and independently, leaving him free of any scrutiny at the time.

Like Erasmus, Woodward also knows what it means to win a Rugby World Cup having coached England to the title in 2003.

Woodward—who also coached the Lions to a 3-0 series defeat on their tour of New Zealand in 2005—showed frustration World Rugby has been slow to react.

Any misconduct hearing is now unlikely to take place before the series is concluded in Cape Town on Saturday, meaning there will be no repercussions for the comments until after a winner emerges.

Erasmus indicated in his hour-long video post that he would “step away” from the Springboks team if he had broken the rules, which he may consider a worthwhile offence if South Africa win the series.

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