Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus admits he considered coaching another country but decided against it as he would not be able to understand the culture of the team.

Erasmus was handed an honorary doctorate in coaching science from North West University earlier this year in recognition of the way in which he rebuilt the entire culture of South African rugby and united a nation in the process.

When the masterful tactician took over the helm of the Springboks in 2018 it was a team at rock bottom loaded with issues, but Erasmus shifted the focus of the team back to South Africa’s traditional strengths with maximum reward.

All about what makes them tick

The coach himself puts it down to understanding exactly how South Africans think and operate – something he admits will be difficult to achieve in a foreign country.

“If you don’t know a culture of a team and their heartbeat, you don’t understand why they are playing and how their fans are,” he told BBC Sport.

“I did consider it once and I loved my time at Munster as it was very Bloemfontein-like. But I wouldn’t know what makes another country tick.”

Symbol of hope

For the Springboks, it’s about representing hope and trying to be a positive symbol for the people of South Africa, which was a narrative built by Erasmus himself, who loves seeing people from different walks of life work together efficiently.

That pat on the shoulder for winning the World Cup, it’s nice and you enjoy that, but it is more the South Africans. If you see the South African people and the gratitude on people’s faces…” Erasmus explained.

“People talk about hope and that everyone can become a Springbok – that’s nonsense. There have only been 900 Springboks in the history of the game.

“But I think it is the working together of South Africans. It doesn’t matter what you are – if you are Christian, Muslim, Black, English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu.

“If you use the best of everybody, that’s what gives me a kick. It gives me a kick when people see what can be done. And the players are understanding that.

“It comes with a hell of a lot of pressure, but I would rather lose and keep on fixing it and [trying to] evolve.”