This weekend, we heaved a sigh of national relief when the Springboks scraped to a 26-20 win against Scotland, but it was the All Black loss that mattered most.
Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa breaks away for a try during The Rugby Championship match between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Westpac Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Not long ago, South African rugby fans would have dismissed the prospect of the Springboks being beaten by a Northern Hemisphere team.
The “big boys” in international rugby were us, the All Blacks and Australia.
This weekend, we heaved a sigh of national relief when the Springboks scraped to a 26-20 win against Scotland.
No doubt there were those back at home who – remembering past glories – carped that these Springboks were not as good as those from some vague period known as the “good old days”.
That attitude ignores a very important reality: the Springboks have not got worse; world rugby, overall, has just got a lot better.
Countries once considered no-hopers are now sides to be taken seriously (OK, we won’t mention Japan) and the fact that rugby players and – critically – coaches now ply their trades all over the world has meant a fascinating cross-pollination has been occurring right under the noses of fans.
Confirmation of that came on Saturday night, when Ireland beat the number one All Blacks 16-9 in Dublin, becoming the first side since 1995 to prevent the New Zealanders from scoring a try in a Test match.
We love this new rugby world order.
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