Reports surfaced last month that Springboks Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus was a 'strong candidate' to replace David Nucifora as IRFU high performance director.
While Erasmus is contracted to the Springboks until 2025; given his role [head coach] in leading them to World Cup victory in 2019 and the success since then, he may want to take on a new challenge.
Current Springboks head coach and Rassie's right hand man, Jacques Nienebar, is heading to Leinster after the World Cup to replace Stuart Lancaster as a senior coach.
On yesterday's episode of The Rugby Pod, Springboks legend Victor Matfield explained why this will be crucial in Erasmus' plans.
It sounds like Rassie is going. He might stay for a few months just to get things in place. But knowing Rassie, knowing Jacques, those two do everything together.
So I think the chances of him going to Ireland must be close to 90 to 95%. The two of them always work together.
Will Rassie Eramsus Be Coming Back To Ireland In The Near Future?
21 October 2017; Munster Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, left, with defence coach Jacques Nienaber, ahead of the European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 4 Round 2 match between Munster and Racing 92 at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
READ HERE: Rassie Erasmus Still Carries Doubts Over Decision To Leave Munster
Erasmus and Nienaber worked at the Stormers together, before they both moved to Munster and then back to South Africa.
In his recently released autobiography, Erasmus described the difficulty in convincing Nienaber and his family to move back home, so soon after bringing them to Ireland with him.
There may also be a sense of 'unfinished business' with Rassie when it comes to Ireland, and, as he also wrote in his book, it pained him to leave the province he had grown to love in his short time there.
"But it was heart breaking to leave Munster," writes Erasmus.
"Even now I get so hartseer when I see pictures of Castleconnell and our beautiful home next to the river Shannon.
"I started to doubt myself. I was putting my balls out there because now my vision for the Springboks was going to be tested. I had been talking the big game for so long and the plan I was so sure about was soon to become a reality and be tested.
"Even now I still don't know if it was the best decision for my family to leave Ireland."
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