Rassie Erasmus: 'Going for two major competitions at the same time is new to me’

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has played 36 times for his native South Africa, represented the Golden Lions and Free State on numerous occasions and served as general manager of high performance for the Springboks along with several other distinctions.

But he admits he is learning all the time and as his first year in the top job at Munster nears what promises to be a thrilling climax, he admits to a feeling of massive expectation mingled with a degree of apprehension.

“Going for two major competitions at the same time is new to me,” he says. “That is especially the case when you are working against teams like Ulster who are preparing for three more league games, a semi-final and a final in the PRO12. The teams you are playing against throw everything resources-wise into that game. And we are preparing for three league games with a European semi-final in between.