Rassie's response to Kiwi hack's brandy chirp

REACTION: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus took the high road when he responded to a cheap shot from a Kiwi hack.

Last week, New Zealand commentator and media personality Scotty Stevenson took cheap shots at Erasmus in the build-up of South Africa's 31-27 come-from-behind win in a Rugby Championship face-off with the All Blacks at Ellis Park.

The weekend win put the Boks in prime position in the tournament - the Boks at the top of the Rugby Championship standings with 14 points after three rounds in the annual Southern Hemisphere championship.

The All Blacks are in second place with six points, followed by Argentina (five points) and Australia (four).

The two teams meet in a Round Four match in Cape Town this Saturday.

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However, the build-up to the Ellis Park face-off was soured by some unsavoury comments from Stevenson in his @SENZBreakfast show he shares with retired All Black Israel Dagg.

He accused Erasmus of 'gaming the system', treating the world like 'his own empire' and being intoxicated.

"How much Klippies [Brandy] and coke has he been on?" Stevenson asked.

Erasmus' response was a lot more classy.

"Hi Izzy & Scotty @SENZBreakfast," Erasmus said on his social media platform on Monday.

"Hope you guys are doing well," he added.

"Nice to see Izzy you involved in a podcast man, I'm really happy that the tough times are behind you," Erasmus said about a player with a well-documented history of alcohol misuse.

"Scotty I am not sure if it is the Sumo I knew.

"If it is, you look great and healthy man. Lekka."

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Stevenson and Dagg had compared Erasmus to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen from Dune and Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars last Friday.

Stevenson criticised Erasmus' behaviour around the selection of Eben Etzebeth last week, comparing him to the villainous characters, while also appearing to refer to his weight, though he quickly backtracked.

Originally ruled out through injury, Etzebeth was later named on the bench and played a crucial part in the Boks' win this past weekend.

What Stevenson and Dagg may not have been aware of is that Etzebeth did train last Monday, but Erasmus had waited till Wednesday to see how the veteran lock had pulled up.

Erasmus' response shows the class of the innovative coach in the face of a tasteless personal attack.

On Saturday, in his post-match media briefing, he also expressed his disappointment in some of the cheap shots aimed at him.

"I thought that, if at a media briefing, you are transparent, then it feels we are doing something for you [the media] - who needs to do accurate reporting," he said in the Afrikaanse section of his media briefing.

"You are South Africans - I know there are international media here as well.

"[However,] sometimes it [the honesty] bites you as people come to conclusions that are not necessarily the truth," he added.

"You try to communicate with people and get closer to you [the media] who are here."

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@rugby365com