Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus insists his thumbs-up gesture after the win in Dublin was not about taunting the Irish.

Erasmus’ celebration at the final whistle on Saturday night was shown on TV and immediately sparked debate that Erasmus was giving it to Irish fans. But the Bok mentor says he only has love and respect for the Irish.

Asked about it post-match, he said: “No, there were South Africans sitting in front of us and saying ‘thank you’, and I said ‘Thank you, back to him’.”

He said of the coach’s box at the Aviva Stadium: “I remember even when I coached Munster here, the coach’s box is like soundproof. You can’t really get the vibe of what’s going on on the field and you get it through the referee’s mike, more or less.

“This is a special stadium. The crowd is special. You know, they’ve got manners when a player takes a kick. I love the way with the pre-match with the military band. I’m glad they gave RG [Snyman] here a bit of a welcoming when he ran onto the field.

“So, no, it was a thank you to our people and, you know, we’ve got a respect for the way the Irish people support their team.”

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Erasmus quipped about the strength of the euro versus the rand.

“For our people to still to come out here … You could still hear them, it was just a thank you”.

Shithouse 😂😂#IREvRSA pic.twitter.com/LHTo2kQxw3

— Riaan Louw (@Ringo26) November 22, 2025