WATCH: How good was Rassie Erasmus as a player?

Rassie Erasmus has already cemented his legacy as one of the Springboks’ most popular and effective coaches, but a lot of this success can actually be traced back to the foundation he laid during his playing days.

Erasmus possessed one of the best rugby brains of his generation and did extensive tactical analyses throughout his playing career, often opting to spend time studying the game rather than taking time off with other teammates.

By 1998, he had established himself as a first choice flank for the Springboks, and he would feature prominently through to 2001, ultimately finishing his international career with 36 Test caps to his name.

As a player who was ahead of his time in many ways, he also become renowned as one of the most naturally gifted loose forwards during his heyday, playing provincially for the Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Cats and Stormers.

Yet, in a fascinating example of self awareness, Erasmus has reflected on his own career with some mixed reviews, admitting that there were times that he was an “entitled arsehole”. In fact he even went si far as to suggest that he would never have picked himself for the Springboks at a stage when he didn’t put the team first.

However, in other examples he has shared from the start of his Test career, he did clarify: “This version I would pick… Rugby not so lekka but did everything for the team (one can lose that and your team mates very quickly.”