Rassie needs to be performance and not results driven says Brendan Venter

Former assistant coach and Springbok centre Brendan Venter has cautioned Rassie Erasmus against following the same path as his predecessors, reiterating that fans need to show patience in the Springbok rebuild.

The 17-test Springbok (1994-1999) voiced his opinion in a column for Stuff.co.nz website, urging the Boks to adopt a performance driven model to ensure long term success.

Rassie Erasmus has seen success in only three of his first six tests in charge and Venter has warned against following the same path as Heyneke Meyer and Alistair Coetzee, writing:

“As much as we want to blame Meyer and Coetzee for the Springboks’ slump in recent times – losing to Japan and suffering a record defeat to the All Blacks – we can’t cast them as scapegoats because Erasmus is now also struggling. And if he keeps on chopping and changing, because all he is looking at is results and winning at all costs, he will follow the same path as his predecessors.”

“The powers that be need to be patient with Erasmus, so that he can buck the trend and implement a long-term vision. The fact the Springboks have slipped to their joint-lowest world ranking of seventh doesn’t bother me. My issue is not with rankings and results because I measure progress and performance. I live my life as a coach and doctor based on simple principles. The trick is to follow the process and be performance-driven”

Venter asked fans again to understand that there will be bumps in the path to a Springbok resurgence.

“Erasmus is a very good coach, with strong pedigree but he was naïve by stating publicly that he must be judged solely on results and transformation, which are purely numbers-driven.”