Rassie Erasmus lost his head in Warren Gatland spat and dragged in Owen Farrell

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

The British and Irish Lions' 2021 tour to South Africa was steeped in controversy, largely due to the off-pitch behaviour of Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks chief went out of his way to provoke Lions head coach Warren Gatland and even involved Owen Farrell in his war of words.
Erasmus, 52, notoriously brought match officials into question with a 62-minute-long video critique during that summer's Test series, which saw South Africa triumph 2-1. Additionally, he caused a stir by taking to the field as a water carrier to pass on tactics to his players while leading a South Africa A side in a warm-up game.
Gatland, 61, expressed bewilderment over why Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk wasn't dismissed following a head-to-head collision in the 17-13 defeat. And he later said his team would seek "clarity" from the officials on the incident, as reported by Wales Online.
In a bold retort, Erasmus, who was serving as South Africa's director of rugby, suggested a rematch, repeatedly branding the Lions as "scared" and "afraid" to face his team. This was merely the start of the head-to-head between the coaches, with Gatland also taking issue with Erasmus's antics disguised as a water boy.
"I don't know, I think he was trying to wind us up saying we're scared," said the Kiwi post-match. "Sometimes he's capable of doing that. Last night he was the water boy running on the pitch – if you're the water boy running onto the pitch you've got make sure you're carrying water!
"I didn't understand what his role was – you don't run onto the pitch giving messages as the waterboy without carrying water. My advice to him is to make sure he's carrying water next time he does that." Erasmus was suspended over a 62-minute-long video criticising the officials during the first 2021 Lions Test (Image: Vimeo)
England stalwart Farrell, who joined this summer's tour of Australia as a controversial injury call-up, stirred controversy with several dubious tackles against South Africa A. Erasmus zeroed in on the fly-half, questioning what he perceived as overlooked instances of foul play.
The initial incident involved Farrell wrestling De Klerk to the ground after the whistle had blown, which at the time went without sanction. Erasmus took to social media to share the clip, taking a thinly veiled swipe at Gatland's plea for clarity.
"If there is time maybe also get absolute clarity and alignment on this one please," he wrote on X. "I know it's way after the whistle, but let's just align and get clarity to be sure."
The second contentious moment came from a clash between Farrell and South Africa No. 8 Jasper Wiese. Once more, Erasmus believed Farrell had tackled too high, yet the match officials did not reprimand the Lions ace during the game.
Erasmus took to social media to share footage of the incident and again made a jibe at Gatland's expense: "While you're at it, please get clarity on this also! ! Penalty or play on? We have to be 100 per cent sure and aligned! Can't agree more."
At the time, a coach publicly questioning referees online was unheard of, but it became characteristic for Erasmus in 2021. He was subsequently handed a two-month ban from all rugby activities due to his hour-long dissection, yet he appeared not to take heed, receiving another suspension for similar transgressions a year later.
Relations have been notably more amicable between current Lions coach Andy Farrell and Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt this summer. Other than a few minor disagreements regarding player availability for the warm-up games in Australia, there's been little animosity between them.
However, the same might not be said for Farrell, who ignited a brawl within five minutes of his 2025 Lions debut against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday. This altercation could mark Farrell's final contribution to the Australian tour, but it was significant as he played a crucial part in securing a hard-fought 24-19 victory.