Former British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has joined the chorus of critics hitting out at SA Rugby's director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.Erasmus has been vocal on Twitter over the past two weeks, using the platform to highlight officiating discrepancies against the Springboks.It followed South Africa's narrow defeats to Ireland (19-16) in Dublin and France (30-26) in Marseille.Erasmus was unrepentant at a media conference in Genoa on Tuesday, insisting he wasn't having a go at referees. "It's not about having a go at the referees.
If I was having a go at the referee, well, I don't think Wayne Barnes would make all those [perceived] bad decisions. He's No 1 in the world and has 100 Tests under the belt," said Erasmus. "It's obviously something on our side we need to fix.
I just want supporters to understand that. If people put a narrative to that, I can't control it." Gatland, via a column for The Telegraph, has called on SA Rugby Erasmus to rein in Erasmus.According to Gatland, Erasmus should follow the channels put in place by World Rugby."We don't see other directors of rugby or head coaches doing the same thing.
I think it's a little bit disappointing. There is a process in place for people to do reports after games and get feedback. And I would like to see Rassie follow that process," Gatland wrote."I can't particularly see a defence there for what he's doing.