Rassie Erasmus believes World Rugby's new match-official communication protocols are forcing coaches to take their concerns public rather than resolving them privately with referees.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's opening Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park, the Springbok coach said the current system had left teams with few alternatives when seeking clarity on laws or tactics. Under the protocols introduced earlier this year, head coaches can only meet with a referee before a Test if both coaches agree to attend together. Post-match, coaches are restricted to submitting six video clips for clarification through a central system, with those submissions visible to other international coaches and match officials.
Erasmus revealed he had opted against a pre-match meeting this week, believing it would offer little value at this stage of the All Blacks' tour. The issue has become particularly relevant during Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, with New Zealand using public comments to argue that South African teams deliberately slow the game down to counter their high-tempo approach.
Asked whether the increasingly public debate was part of a tactical battle between the sides, Erasmus suggested the protocols had left coaches with no choice. "I don't think it's a tactic. I think it's an obvious thing: if you want to get something out, you have to get it out here because you can't really talk to the referee sometimes," he said.
The Springbok coach also pointed to the loss of tactical surprise under the new system, noting that coaches previously used pre-match meetings to alert referees to specific tactics without tipping off opponents. "There's definitely frustration from the coaches that you can't have meetings with the referee if both teams don't agree," Erasmus said. "It's now at a stage where you almost accept both teams' coaches aren't always going to agree to a pre-match meeting."