Rassie denies targeting referees, insists tweets are engagement: 'I don't control narrative'

Regardless of how rugby folk all around the world interpret his sentiments, Rassie Erasmus insisted on Tuesday that his series of tweets examining various passages of play from the 30-26 loss to France are not aimed at referee Wayne Barnes.

There has been an increasing sense of unease over the Springboks' director of rugby's conduct on the social media platform, which some argue amounts to the unnecessary provocation of World Rugby, the custodians of the game.

Erasmus only recently returned from his 12-month match-day ban for his infamous 62-minute video on refereeing decisions in last year's first Test against the British & Irish Lions.

@Springboks director of rugby @RassieRugby addressing the issue of his tweets over the past two weeks in the aftermath of the Ireland & France games.@Sport24news pic.twitter.com/TiLyvu4b2b

But the 50-year-old Bok mentor denied his posts were in any way related to officiating.

"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," Erasmus said in a surprise appearance at the team announcement for Saturday's meeting with Italy in Genoa.

"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."

He specifically highlighted a tweet over Sipili Falatea's controversial game-clinching try, which many felt shouldn't have stood because of three movements in placing the ball over the tryline, as an apparent example of the national side not questioning the adjudication process despite the TMO's communication link being down in the build-up. 

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