A New Zealand radio show hosted by former All Black Israel Dagg has been criticised for extremely disappointing remarks made about South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus.
The All Blacks and Springboks face off this Saturday in the first of two titanic Rugby Championship meetings, with South Africa currently in the ascendancy in the championship standings.
Earlier this week, Springbok coach Erasmus suggested that Eben Etzebeth had been ruled out of contention for selection due to injury. However, Etzebeth would later be drafted into the matchday 23 in a late change ahead of today's game in Johannesburg.
On SENZ Radio's breakfast show this week, former New Zealand international Israel Dagg discussed the sudden inclusion of Eben Etzebeth in the South Africa squad with pundit Scott Stevenson.
The pair have found themselves in hot water after hugely questionable remarks made by Stevenson made a less-than-complimentary comparison between Erasmus' physical appearance and characters from Dune and Star Wars.
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NZ rugby show featuring Israel Dagg called out for tasteless Rassie Erasmus remarks
13 July 2024; South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus, right, and Ireland head coach Andy Farrell before the second test between South Africa and Ireland at Kings Park in Durban, South Africa. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Speaking to Israel Dagg, Scott Stevenson said that he was not a fan of the perceived "games" he believed Rassie Erasmus had been playing with the Eben Etzebeth saga.
However, Stevenson would take things way too far in making extremely poor remarks about Erasmus' physical appearance.
The games this guy plays like there’s a part of me that says, well played, Sir but there’s another part of you that just gets sick, and the one thing I noticed the press conferences this week and the video coverage...is it just me or is Rassie looking every day more like Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, leader of the House of Hakkinen from Dune. Like, seriously, what’s going on?
How much Klippies [Brandy] and coke has he been on?
Honestly, he’s just sitting there and I said like, he reminds me of – and this is not a weight issue – but he had the countenance of Jabba the Hutt. This sort of a man just holding court and just knowing that he was the boss of his empire.
The comments have understandably been met with significant backlash online, especially given Erasmus' struggles with a serious medical condition in recent years.
Erasmus was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis in 2019, a condition which had a side effect of his body retaining more water than usual, meaning he can sometimes appear unwell or bloated.
South African fans took to social media to express their anger at Stevenson for making such poor remarks, while Dagg has also come under fire for his role in hosting the show.
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