Reflecting on his debut Test season in 2018, Sikhumbuzo Notshe has hailed the honesty of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Notshe played off the bench in four Tests last June (against Wales and England), before making his run-on debut against Australia in the Rugby Championship.

Although the versatile loose forward never featured during the Boks’ end-of-year tour, he told Sport24 that he always knew where he stood.

‘One thing I can say is that Rassie is a damned honest coach. It’s lovely to be in an environment where there is honesty and nothing is said behind someone else’s back. Going into last season’s year-end tour, everyone knew where they stood and that was the best part of it.

‘My relationship with Rassie started three years ago and from then onwards it has grown. He picked me against the English, I played under him the whole year and then we ended off with a good Barbarians tour at the end of last year,’ Notshe also commented.

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