At what point does sustained success turn a great rugby coach into one of the greatest ever?
That's the question The Rugby Odds tackled this week when the conversation turned to South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus and the legacy he continues to build with the Springboks.
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Erasmus already has a résumé few coaches can match. He led South Africa to the 2019 Rugby World Cup title, remained a central figure as director of rugby when the Springboks repeated as champions under head coach Jacques Nienaber in 2023 and returned to the head-coaching role following that triumph.
But for Rugby Odds pundit George Hook, judging Erasmus requires looking beyond trophies.
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Is Rassie Erasmus The Best Rugby Coach Ever?
That was the headline presented to Hook during his recurring "Headlines Hook" segment on The Rugby Odds.
Hook wasn't quite ready to give Erasmus the title outright.
Instead, the longtime Irish rugby pundit argued that determining coaching greatness requires looking at more than wins and World Cups.
"We have to look at the best coach in the world on the basis of innovation, on the basis of success," Hook said.
There's also the question of what a coach does with the team he inherits.
Erasmus took over a South African team in 2018 that had fallen to sixth in the World Rugby Men's Rankings. Less than two years later, the Springboks were world champions and Erasmus was the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year.
George Hook Says Innovation Matters
That's where Erasmus' case becomes particularly interesting.
Hook compared him with influential coaches from different eras, including former Australia coach Alan Jones and former New Zealand coach Graham Henry, while pointing toward tactical innovation as one of the characteristics separating the game's great coaches.
For Erasmus, Hook focused on South Africa's approach to its replacements.
"Now we look at Erasmus, who changed the face of the game with his attitude to the bench," Hook said.
The Springboks' forward-heavy replacement strategy became one of the defining tactical talking points of their 2023 World Cup run. South Africa used a 7-1 forwards-to-backs split against Ireland during pool play before returning to the same split for the World Cup final against New Zealand.
That strategy was an extension of the "Bomb Squad" philosophy that has allowed South Africa to bring waves of physical forwards off the bench and maintain pressure deep into matches.
For Hook, that willingness to rethink conventional rugby strategy belongs in the discussion when comparing Erasmus with the sport's other influential coaches.
Rassie Erasmus' Rugby World Cup Legacy
There is an important distinction between South Africa's two most recent World Cup titles.
Erasmus was the Springboks' head coach when South Africa beat England 32-12 in the 2019 final. Nienaber succeeded him as head coach and held the position when South Africa defeated New Zealand 12-11 in the 2023 final, with Erasmus serving as director of rugby.
But the partnership stretched across both World Cup cycles.
World Rugby noted after the 2023 championship that Erasmus and Nienaber had targeted that tournament when they took charge of the national setup in 2018.
Erasmus then returned as head coach following Nienaber's departure, continuing a run that has transformed South Africa from a struggling international power back into one of rugby's defining teams.
Hook believes that already puts Erasmus in rare company.
"At this point Erasmus ranks as one of the greatest coaches we have seen in the professional era," Hook said.
Who Did The Rugby Odds Crew Pick For Their Player Of The Week?
Mike Friday: Robert du Preez
King Gift Egbelu: Kathryn Treder
John Bradshaw Layfield: Kathryn Treder
Matt McCarthy: Kathryn Treder
Treder earned three of the four selections after her performance in the USA women's win over Ireland. Friday went with Bayonne fly-half Robert du Preez.
Whether Erasmus eventually becomes the greatest may require a little more time.
But he has certainly given The Rugby Odds plenty of reason to ask the question.
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