Rassie Erasmus has had enough. The Springbok coach delivered a passionate, almost defiant defence of lock Salmaan Moerat on Monday after naming his squad for Saturday’s Nations Championship opener against Italy in Turin, making crystal clear that social media critics simply don’t understand what makes elite Test rugby tick. And whilst he’s fine with South Africans having opinions, Erasmus isn’t about to let keyboard warriors dictate selection when they fundamentally miss what Moerat brings to the green and gold.
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Moerat has become a lightning rod for criticism on social media, with fans questioning why he remains in the Springbok mix despite not delivering the flashy, highlight-reel moments that dominate Twitter feeds and Instagram reels. But Erasmus couldn’t care less about likes, shares or viral clips, he cares about winning Test matches, and Moerat delivers precisely what’s required to make that happen.
“I like South Africans who have opinions about things, and I’ve certainly seen it when Willie [le Roux] got slaughtered, and when Faf [de Klerk] was taken out, and then times when a guy made it against the odds,” Erasmus said. “But I’ve never really listened to people who talk nonsense about Salmaan, because he’s not the kind of guy you see doing the flashy work on the field, and we don’t expect him to. We expect him to do what he always does for us.”
The numbers speak
Erasmus dropped a stat that should silence critics immediately, Moerat has captained the Springboks four or five times and won every single match.
“He’s been our captain four or five times, I’m not 100% sure, but I think he’s won every single time,” Erasmus said, the pride evident in his voice.
The former Stormers skipper, who now plies his trade at La Rochelle in France, isn’t selected to make YouTube compilations. He’s selected to do the grunt work that allows others to shine, the unglamorous, physically brutal jobs that don’t make highlight reels but win Test matches.
Grinders win championships
Erasmus compared Moerat to Jean Kleyn and RG Snyman, players who understand their roles and execute them with relentless consistency. It’s not flashy, it’s not sexy, but it’s absolutely essential.
“We need a grinder, like a Jean Kleyn, like an RG Snyman. I think that’s a bit flashy as well, but it’s something we need in the team, and Salmaan brings it to us,” Erasmus explained.
Then came the masterclass in what Moerat actually does, the stuff casual observers miss because they’re too busy waiting for offloads and line breaks.
“Nobody probably understands how hard he scrums, how hard he mauls, how hard he cleans the ruck, how physical he is doing it, and how he stops mauls,” Erasmus said
“You can never really explain that to people, but we’re not upset that people don’t see it. As long as Salmaan knows, and his teammates know, that we see it and that we value it. He’s the kind of guy we enjoy having in our team.”
The unseen work
That’s the crux of it. Moerat’s value lies in the trenches, the collisions, the clearouts, the maul defence, the scrum stability. He’s not there to beat defenders on the outside or throw basketball passes. He’s there to ensure the Springbok pack maintains dominance.
Erasmus finished with a statement that should resonate with every armchair selector who’s never laced up boots at international level.
“When it comes to things people don’t understand or don’t see fully, I can understand why they have their opinions, but obviously we have our own opinion about someone.”
Saturday’s test awaits
Moerat will partner Ruan Nortje in the second row when the Springboks face Italy in Turin on Saturday at 13:40 (SA time). Expect him to do exactly what Erasmus described, grind, maul, scrum and clearout with the sort of intensity that won’t make highlight reels but will help South Africa dominate the collisions.
And if the social media critics don’t understand why he’s there? Erasmus couldn’t care less. As long as Moerat and his teammates understand the value he brings, that’s all that matters.
The keyboard warriors can keep tweeting. Rassie and the Springboks will keep winning.
