Life is serene and the waters are calm for Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks. They have won the past two World Cups, and the last pair of major competitions in which they participated. They have beaten their ancient rivals the All Blacks three times in a row. They are based contentedly south of rugby’s great divide.
Swap the myrtle-and-gold jersey for a shirt belonging to the Sharks, Stormers, Bulls or Lions and the same players do not look half as impressive up north. If there is any itch in Rassie-World the Springbok supremo cannot reach, let alone scratch, it is the yawning gap between overwhelming success at national level and a paucity of silverware on the tier below it.
That is integrally related to the 12-month season to which the top South African players are now committed: from September to June, the URC and the two EPCR tournaments in north; in July, tours of the Republic by the northern nations; from August to October, the Rugby Championship south of the equator while everyone else is regenerating into pre-season preparation up north. Then the whole cycle begins, all over again. Facing both ways, north and south like some two-faced Roman god is not doing anything for South African rugby’s cohesion.
Warren Gatland’s recent experience with Wales reminded everyone else on planet rugby you can only sustain success at the top of the pyramid for so long before the reality at the base kicks in. In his first coming as Wales coach between 2008 and 2019, Gatland won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and achieved two semi-finals at the World Cup. Wales even briefly topped the world rankings in August 2019 after a record 14-match unbeaten run. For heaven’s sakes, ‘Gats’ even beat the Bokke on four occasions and had a set of gates outside the Principality stadium named after him.
In his guise of Great Redeemer come to save Welsh rugby for a second time [2022-2025], there was no repeat miracle. Wales lost 14 consecutive Test matches, slipped out of the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in their history, and lost 20 of their 26 games overall. There were no palm leaves and confetti, just a rough slouch towards the ignominy of resignation in February, midway through a Six Nations tournament which had always been his speciality.
One year before he departed, Gatland had effectively predicted his own fate by calling out Welsh regional rugby as ‘a sinking ship’.
“I was asked the question about where Irish rugby was at, and where we were at – the structure and systems,” he said.
What I was highlighting was the importance of us, for the next 10 years, if we want success and sustainability, [of] having the best facilities and support staff, whether that’s coaches, medical staff, or strength and conditioning.
“Before we start thinking about anything else, that’s probably where the difference was at the moment. Ireland have got their systems and structures in place and we’ve got a little bit of a way to go.”
