Wales v South Africa: Rassie Erasmus backs under-fire Warren Gatland
Erasmus and Gatland have coached for Wales and South Africa respectively, while the pair were head coaches of each other when the Springboks defeated the British and Irish Lions in 2021.
“We had good discussions. I think the last time we met was at Twickenham last summer,” Erasmus said.
“We had a great chat there about the Lions series. Although we’ve had clashes in the past, he’s a rugby player through and through.
“Coaches can get lonely and that’s cruel. Whenever someone is in a tough spot, you don’t want anything bad to happen to that person.
“I wouldn’t say I hope he beats us, but I hope he succeeds. I have a lot of respect for him and hope he gets the respect from everyone that he deserves.”
Erasmus began his role in South Africa in 2018 when the Springboks were at a low ebb and went on to lead South Africa to success at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.
“It’s hard to talk about other people’s situations, but I can try to put myself in Warren’s shoes because I’ve been in this situation before,” Erasmus said.
“Sometimes you turn things around because the players believe in the coach and sometimes you just say the right thing and the players say they will do it for the coach and the country.
“We are preparing for Wales, who we are familiar with. We find them very similar to Argentina, almost like the South Africans, in terms of how hard the people work and the players who have been polished before.
“They are a team with everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
