Tuesday 24 January 2017 07:37, UK
Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has distanced himself from reports linking him with a return to his native South Africa to coach the Springboks.
Erasmus has done a stellar job since taking over at Munster in the summer, leading the Irish province to second in the Guinness PRO12 with a game in hand on leaders Ospreys and into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.
Under Erasmus, Munster have won 11 of 12 competitive matches since the passing of head coach Anthony Foley in October, and that success is not going unnoticed in South Africa.
A report in South African newspaper Rapport on Sunday indicated Erasmus was being lined up to succeed under-pressure Springboks coach Allister Coetzee, but his representatives insist that is not the case.
"Rassie has a contract with Munster and won't travel to South Africa for discussions while doing so well with Munster," Frikkie Erasmus, Rassie's lawyer, told rugby365.com.
"Rassie is very happy in Ireland. He doesn't have to deal with interference as is the case in South Africa. He still has plenty of time left on his contract, which is a very good one."
Coetzee is under pressure following a disastrous tour of Europe in November which saw South Africa suffer their first defeat to Italy, in addition to being beaten by England and Wales.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has admitted the Springboks are considering their options and that Coetzee is not certain to remain as head coach beyond the end of this month.
"We're not sure which way we're going, whether we're keeping Allister or not," Alexander told Sport24.
"We still have presentations to go through but no formal decision has been made on whether we're going forward with him or not.
"At the end of January, we'll make an announcement on whether we're keeping him."
