“They Have Eight, We Had One”: Erasmus Plunders England For Elite Signing

In elite sport, where the finest margins often separate victory from defeat, success is increasingly determined as much in the analysis room as it is on the training field.

Recognising the importance of gaining every possible edge over the opposition, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has strengthened his backroom staff with the appointment of former England analyst Joe Lewis, admitting South Africa still trails many of its biggest rivals in the analytics department.

Erasmus believes Lewis’s arrival will bring fresh ideas and specialist expertise to a coaching team determined to remain at the forefront of the international game.

The Bok coach revealed that Lewis’s appointment was driven by the Springboks’ desire to strengthen an area in which they still lag behind many of the world’s leading rugby nations.

The Welshman, who holds a master’s degree in performance analysis from Cardiff Metropolitan University and a degree in sports management from the University of South Wales, served as England’s head analyst from 2017 to 2021 before becoming senior analyst from 2022 until the end of this year’s Six Nations campaign.

Lewis recently joined the Springboks after leaving England, adding further analytical expertise to a coaching staff Erasmus believes has long operated with fewer resources than many of its international rivals.

According to Erasmus, South Africa has traditionally relied on just one analyst, while other leading rugby nations have invested heavily in data and performance analysis.

“We always only had one analyst,” Erasmus said.

“If you look at any of the Tier One nations, some have five. I think France has eight guys just focused on getting data. England also has many.”

Erasmus said Lewis became an obvious target as soon as he became available, with the Springboks constantly monitoring coaching and support staff talent from around the world.

“We were looking for another analyst, and Joe was available. We scan everywhere,” he said.

“Paddy (Sullivan) is an Irishman who worked in the French league, so you can get some good information and good analytics from that league.

“If you get a guy of Lewis’s calibre being available, it’s fantastic to have him here.”

Lewis becomes the third analyst in the Springbok setup, joining Lindsay Smith and Paddy Sullivan, although Erasmus believes South Africa still has ground to make up.

“We only had two analysts and with Joe we have three now, but I think we are still far off the other Tier One nations, who have more analysts.”

The Springboks have also restructured how analytical responsibilities are divided within the coaching group.

“We were in this mode of one analyst capturing data and then having the coaches filter it, but Lindsay, Paddy and Joe all cover different departments,” Erasmus said.

“Paddy is with the scrums and lineouts, Joe is with the attack, and Lindsay is with the backline, and they rotate from time to time.

“It’s nice to get a fresh voice with some new ideas into our setup.”

While Lewis’s recent spell with England means he has an intimate understanding of Steve Borthwick’s side, Erasmus acknowledged that the transfer of intellectual property between teams is simply part of the modern professional game.

“He is familiar with England, yes,” Erasmus said.

“It’s like the time Matthew Proudfoot moved away from us in 2019, and the next year we played England. He knew a lot of what we did.”

Erasmus pointed to several other examples of coaches carrying knowledge with them between teams, including Byron McGuigan, now with Sale Sharks, and Eddie Jones’ moves between Australia, England and Japan.

“There is a guy called Byron McGuigan who spent an entire week with us as Sale Sharks coach, and I’m pretty sure he has a lot of stuff on us.

“Eddie Jones moved from Australia to England and then England to Japan, and of course some IP gets transferred, and it’s no different with Joe.”

For Erasmus, however, Lewis’s value extends beyond any insight he may have into England. More importantly, the former England analyst brings fresh perspectives and specialist expertise as the Springboks continue to evolve their high-performance environment ahead of a demanding international season.