Why the Springboks’ age of domination could only be just beginning
With their existing team and players waiting on their chance for national honours, the Springboks have every reason to dominate world rugby for the foreseeable future, even if they lose assistant coach Felix Jones and head coach Jacques Nienaber.
Through their boldness, even during a Rugby global Cup year, Nienaber, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, and the assistant coaches have assembled a strong team of more than fifty players who have made a significant contribution to the team’s record-breaking fourth Webb Ellis Cup and back-to-back global crowns.
Even though the team wasn’t playing at its peak in some of these games, they were still unable to defeat France, England, and the All Blacks.
That reveals a great deal about the type of fighters these sides faced in France.
Blessed with experience
And when the international season begins the following year, all of them—aside from the retiring Duane Vermeulen—will still be available for the Springboks.
For South Africans, that is a fantastic idea, but it may also be intimidating for the person chosen to take on the four-time World Cup winners.
Jasper Wiese has offered to take over the No. 8 jersey while Vermeulen is still playing for the Boks.
Perhaps Vermeulen’s last-ditch effort for the Springboks was all that kept him ahead of Wiese.
However, just as he pursued Vermeulen’s job, a plethora of talent will be itching to steal that shirt from Wiese if he is not producing in the future.
When you stop to think about it, players like Sikhumbuzo Notshe of the Sharks and Evan Roos of the Stormers have had a taste and undoubtedly want more international rugby.
However, there are other young players that are nipping at the heels of the aforementioned players, such as Cameron Hanekom (Bulls), Phepsi Buthelezi (Sharks), and Francke Horne (Lions).
There are many Vermeulen’s descendants, but before the Boks may follow in his footsteps, they must determine whether they possess the qualities of a “warrior.” Erasmus and the other coaches will use this information to carefully choose the players.
All about the team
In the setup, Bok assistant coach Deon Davids defined a “warrior” as someone who sets aside their ego for the good of the group.
“You identify yourself with the ways in which you can help this team improve, whether it is on the field or through supporting a teammate. They have to realize that the success of this team depends on everyone in the team, not just themselves.
Davids’ remarks are spot on given what has happened to this team throughout the last two World Cup competitions, particularly the most recent one in France.
Some players who were put to the test and proved to be unfit for the role of “warrior” advanced to the tournament, while others did not.
Finding the finest players won’t be difficult given South Africa’s depth, especially when considering the upcoming event in 2027.
Will they, however, be the best suited to lead this team to success?
One team, one goal
The same holds true for any incoming new coaches. With the sole intention of making and maintaining the Boks as the greatest in the world, the current crop set aside their disagreements and let go of egos.
Prospective coaches should find it easy to buy into the Bok ideology.
There is no reason the Springboks cannot build on their World Cup victory by winning the November Tests in Europe, the Rugby Championship against teams from the southern hemisphere, and the mid-year Tests against Ireland. This is provided that the setup for the upcoming season is altered as little as possible.
If necessary, South Africa’s players are capable of stepping up. With their depth at their disposal, they ought to be atop the rugby food chain until the next World Cup in Australia, at the very least. Their ego is the only thing that can cause them to go awry.
