- Rassie Erasmus has reiterated that his series of tweets are not aimed at criticising the refereeing in last weekend's loss to France.
- The Springboks' director of rugby insists he's merely pointing out "things the team need to fix" and that he can't control the narrative created by others.
- He also noted that his posts are part of a continued effort to improve engagement with South African fans invested in the progress of the team.
Regardless of how rugby folk all around the world interpret his sentiments, Rassie Erasmus insisted on Tuesday that his series of tweets examining various passages of play from the 30-26 loss to France are not aimed at referee Wayne Barnes.
There has been an increasing sense of unease over the Springboks' director of rugby's conduct on the social media platform, which some argue amounts to the unnecessary provocation of World Rugby, the custodians of the game.
Erasmus only recently returned from his 12-month match-day ban for his infamous 62-minute video on refereeing decisions in last year's first Test against the British & Irish Lions.
@Springboks director of rugby @RassieRugby addressing the issue of his tweets over the past two weeks in the aftermath of the Ireland & France games.@Sport24news pic.twitter.com/TiLyvu4b2b
— Khanyiso Tshwaku (@kaymorizm) November 15, 2022
But the 50-year-old Bok mentor denied his posts were in any way related to officiating.
"It's not about having a go at the referees. If I was having a go at the referee, well, I don't think Wayne Barnes would make all those [perceived] bad decisions. He's No 1 in the world and has 100 Tests under the belt," Erasmus said in a surprise appearance at the team announcement for Saturday's meeting with Italy in Genoa.
"It's obviously something on our side we need to fix. I just want supporters to understand that. If people put a narrative to that, I can't control it."
He specifically highlighted a tweet over Sipili Falatea's controversial game-clinching try, which many felt shouldn't have stood because of three movements in placing the ball over the tryline, as an apparent example of the national side not questioning the adjudication process despite the TMO's communication link being down in the build-up.
Guys at this level their is no chance that this was not reviewed, the chances of communications going down at that specific moment is 1/100min of broadcasting! So in our view fair try after proper review by experienced Barnsy and his team! No quarrels from our side!! https://t.co/QvoGW2DFNL
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) November 13, 2022
"If you read the tweets, people immediately adjust something to the narrative they want to put out there. Even in [that specific] tweet where we noted that the TMO's link was offline, I still won't believe that Wayne Barnes would let that go and just say the TMO isn't available.
"I just wouldn't believe that from him. That's why we have no qualms," said Erasmus, ostensibly suggesting that Barnes was merely confident with his on-field decision.
Instead, Erasmus reiterated that the posts are part of Springbok management's continued effort to increase engagement with supporters "invested" in seeing what the team is working on and assisting them in measuring the side's progress.
He also encouraged users - in a tweet earlier in the day, using the much cruder term of "parasite" - who find his posts counterproductive to simple ignore of unfollow him.
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok
"We've always had the hashtag #StrongerTogether as South Africans. We've always been close to our fans. When something goes wrong on the field, people form their own opinions and that's understandable, but just carefully read or 'listen' to those tweets," he said.
"They're being done for South African supporters to understand that there's some things that some guys on the opposition side are really doing well, which we don't understand. Cheslin, for example, can't go in that high if he's not going to tackle the guy back. He'll have to go lower.
"This is to share to SA supporters that when you make a pass of 10m, it's sometimes an optical illusion and looks forward. A short pass can turn out exactly the same. If we don't learn from those things and never get it right, things won't change.
"I don't tag people, I don't slam the referees. I'm saying these are the things we need to fix, if someone doesn't want to follow that, then please unfollow me. But surely there are SA supporters to know where we're going, what we're getting right and where we're going wrong.
"If it's the way we communicate, read the game or actions when we fall on the wrong side, those are things we need to fix."