Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus staying at Munster

Munster hooker Niall Scannell has revealed that Rassie Erasmus informed the squad a "few weeks ago" that he would be remaining on as director of rugby despite overtures to return to South Africa and take up as similar role overseeing the Springboks.

“There’s been a lot speculation but he clarified to us a few weeks ago,” said Scannell. “And I’ll be honest with you, at the time it was reassuring to hear because himself, Jacques [Nienaber], Felix [Jones] and Fla [Jerry Flannery] are a top quality coaching ticket and they’ve done so much for us. Obviously Axel [Anthony Foley] had a big hand in that, but if you just look at the turnaround we’ve had in nine, 10 months.”

Erasmus had previously refused to rule out a return home, thereby breaking his three year contract after just one season.

“I can’t speak highly enough for what a good coach Rassie is. It’s brilliant that he’s staying around. It’s brilliant for our club and it’s brilliant for Irish rugby.

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The confidence its given us, it’s something I haven’t had from a coach before. He comes into the changing room afterwards saying: ‘Look, they’re further along their curve and they were the better team today. You trust him and you believe that we will evolve and we will get there and that’s hugely reassuring that he’s staying around.”

Following this 26-10 defeat to European and English champions, Erasmus stated that Saracens were “15 to 20 points the better team.”