Conor Murray was disappointed when Rassie Erasmus left Munster
Ireland's scrum-half Conor Murray looks on during the captain’s run training session at La Beaugeoire stadium in Nantes, western France on September 15, 2023. Picture: Damien MEYER / AFP
Image: Damien MEYER / AFP
It’s the stuff of fairytales if you’re a Springbok supporter, but as South Africa went on to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups, it was a tinge of regret for Munster according to scrumhalf Conor Murray.
Murray, who is the fourth most-capped Ireland international of all time, was in the peak of his career when Rassie Erasmus joined Munster in April 2016. Murray also only represented Munster during his club career.
Though Erasmus signed a three-year contract with Munster when he joined, he left in December 2017 as he heeded the Springbok call.
As Murray called time on his playing career in September last year, the 36-year-old revealed what an influence Erasmus had at Munster.
Rassie Erasmus: A Genius Coach with an Embarrassment of Riches
“Rassie is amazing. I was just so disappointed that he left once because we knew he was special, as he has proved winning back-to-back World Cups and the Rugby Championship. We knew he had something really good with him and Jacques Nienaber too,” Murray told BetVictor.
“Rassie is a genius. Felix Jones or Jerry Flannery, both of whom worked with him, described Rassie as a chess grandmaster who is just five or six steps ahead of everyone all the time.
“He sees the game like no one else, and how he can deliver a message is remarkable. His intelligence levels are high, as are his emotional levels. He can create a narrative for a week, any given week, and have everyone buying into it. His tactical nous is supreme.”
As for the Springboks under Erasmus, Murray said it was an embarrassment of riches.
“It’s also a bonus generation when you have that number of players. It’s just a ridiculous generation! People say they have two or three players for most positions. But South Africa has two or three 15s that would absolutely compete on the international stage. He is an insanely good coach with a player pool to match.