SA's Erasmus is a 'mastermind' - Ireland wing Nash

Ireland winger Calvin Nash has praised South Africa caput coach Rassie Erasmus anterior to nan Six Nations champions opening a two-Test bid against nan World Cup winners connected Saturday.

The 26-year-old, who started each 5 games during that victorious Six Nations run successful February and March, made his Munster debut nether Erasmus 7 years ago, though he says interactions astatine nan clip were limited.

Erasmus was Munster's head of rugby for 18 months, moving successful Limerick pinch Jacques Nienaber who is now elder coach astatine nan Irish province's section rivals Leinster.

The brace near Thomond Park together for roles pinch South Africa Rugby successful 2017, winning a brace of World Cups earlier Nienaber's return to Ireland past year.

"[Erasmus] gave maine my debut but different than that I didn't really person overmuch dealings pinch him," said Nash.

"I tried to study arsenic overmuch arsenic I could disconnected Rassie, and Jacques erstwhile he was there.

"They're masterminds and awesome coaches."

The first Test of nan bid takes spot successful Pretoria connected Saturday pinch nan 2nd to beryllium held 7 days later successful Durban.

With nan status of Keith Earls aft nan World Cup, and nan injuries sustained by Connacht's Mack Hansen that person kept him retired of nan greenish jersey since that tournament, Nash has quickly moved up Ireland's extent floor plan successful nan back-three positions.

He made his world debut successful a World Cup warm-up against Italy past August, but did not make nan travel to France erstwhile Andy Farrell trimmed his squad for nan tournament.

Come his cardinal domiciled successful nan Six Nations, he says he was still getting to cognize his caller team-mates.

"Six Nations helped maine a lot, [I have] a batch much calmness coming into nan world stage," he added.

"Getting to cognize nan lads was astir apt nan main point for me. Knowing what they're doing connected nan pitch, but nan disconnected nan section relationships are monolithic and what helps nan squad beryllium stronger.

"It's been people to get complete here, walk much clip pinch nan lads and get to cognize group more."

Nash was portion of nan Munster broadside that won nan 2023 United Rugby Championship [URC] last successful Cape Town and nan visitors person an expanding familiarity pinch South Africa since nan Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions joined their home convention successful 2021.

Nash, though, said forwards coach Paul O'Connell has reminded nan squad that Ireland person only ever won 1 Test connected South African soil, that coming 8 years agone successful a crippled that saw nan visitor's back-row CJ Stander shown a reddish paper aft conscionable 22 minutes.

"It's difficult capable winning a crippled successful nan URC down here. I tin only ideate what an world Test is going to beryllium like," he said.

"The coaches person told america what a monolithic situation it is. Paulie was saying that only 1 Irish squad has ever won present internationally, truthful that's different monolithic situation and thing we person to get complete ourselves and hopefully travel up pinch a affirmative result."