WATCH | Renowned coach says he doesn't believe Rassie is lying about leaked video

Renowned rugby coach Matt Williams has backed Rassie Erasmus' claims that he didn't leak a video in which he publicly criticised Australian referee Nic Berry last year.

The 62-minute long video, in which Erasmus highlights numerous refereeing errors following the Springboks' 22-17 loss to the British & Irish Lions in the series opener on 24 July, was leaked onto social media the following week and went viral. 

Erasmus was later charged by World Rugby and banned from attending any matches for a year for his public criticism.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail, the SA Rugby director of rugby opened up on what became known as 'Rassiegate', insisting that he had no part in the video being made public.

Australian Williams, a vastly experienced former coach of the Waratahs, Leinster, Scotland and Ulster, told the Off The Ball talk show that he believed Erasmus was speaking the truth.

"I didn't see any value in him leaking that. I saw only negatives... for him to say 'I didn't leak it' doesn't surprise me. I never subscribed to the belief that he leaked it because what are the possible benefits for him in leaking it," Williams said.

"Who benefits? He didn't benefit. I'm not suggesting anything, I haven't got a clue, but it made him look bad and took the pressure off the referees in some way."

According to Williams, who was the Scotland head coach between 2003 and 2005, Erasmus said nothing out of the ordinary in the video.

"The content of what Rassie said in that video, for international referees and coaches, is nothing. It is not bad... Nigel Owens said the same thing, it is a conversation that coaches have with referees every week of big games, post-games and pre-games. The only thing unusual about that was the world