Could a ‘foreigner’ lead the Springboks? Schalk Burger makes bold suggestion over Rassie Erasmus’ successor
Current Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and former Test back-rower Schalk Burger.
Schalk Burger believes that Felix Jones could well be primed to take over from Rassie Erasmus when the current Springboks head coach moves on.
The Irishman, who was with South Africa between 2019 and 2023, has rejoined the set-up after just a few months with England.
Jones was a key part of the Boks’ Rugby World Cup wins in Japan and France, and will look to help them secure an unprecedented three-peat in Australia in 2027.
They are currently being led by Erasmus, who moved from director of rugby to head coach following Jacques Nienaber’s departure after the 2023 success.
Will Rassie Erasmus stay on?
It remains to be seen whether the 52-year-old will stay on after the next global tournament but, even if he does, Burger thinks that he could move into a new role to allow someone else to take on the position of head coach.
The great flanker duly put Jones’ name forward as a potential replacement should Erasmus step aside in two years’ time.
“You know Rassie does like two years of the head coaching gig and then he goes to director of rugby. It doesn’t really change his role within the Springboks but he does like doing that two-year block and then moving himself,” Burger said on the Boks Office podcast.
“Maybe Felix Jones is the next one to take over the head coach job.”
A foreigner has never led South Africa and that suggestion was rather quickly shot down by fellow Springboks legend Jean de Villiers and host of the show Hanyani Shimange.
They both reckon that Mzwandile Stick, who has been an assistant coach in the national team set-up since 2016, is the favourite to take the role.
“I don’t think so, no. I don’t think we’re ready for a ‘foreign’ head coach. If this group remains, he won’t ever step away totally. I think Stick is the man to date,” De Villiers said.
“I do think from Felix’s point of view, they really value his input and certainly the work ethic that he puts in.”
Springboks legends debate how ‘intense’ Felix Jones will work alongside ‘free-spirited’ Tony Brown
Spy theory
With Jones only lasting a few months with England, it was half-jokingly suggesting that he was acting as a spy for the Springboks.
Both South African greats did not buy the conspiracy theory with Burger querying what the 37-year-old could have ultimately gleaned from his time at the Red Rose.
“If you say he’s gone to spy on England, what do you come back with? A bit of info on their psyche, what they’re trying to do on attack, I don’t think it really makes any difference,” he said.
De Villiers tended to agree and reckoned most of their players will already know plenty about how other countries like to play given that a number of them are featuring overseas.
“We have so many players playing abroad, you play club rugby with so many of those guys,” the former captain added.
