Springboks: South African rugby at its best

When you’re on a high of sporting success, it’s difficult to see the wood for the trees, which is why, at first glance, one is tempted to dismiss the claim of a commentator after Saturday’s clash between the Springboks and the All Black that this is the best Bok side in history.

But, really? The first thing you have to say is that this is not one Springbok side. It’s a group of players who could quite easily form two sides capable of taking on the best in the world. Secondly, although we beat the All Blacks soundly in the second Test and took home the Freedom Trophy, the Boks certainly didn’t have things all their own way.

Seldom, for example, have we seen the Bok lineout perform so badly – whether Bongi Mbonambi or Malcolm Marx was putting in the ball, a number of lineouts were lost on our throw. And South Africa normally don’t tolerate poachers…

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Another area in which the national side turned in a sub-par performance was at the breakdown: too many penalties were conceded for holding on and too many balls were lost to the New Zealanders in broken play. Still, it was once again the Springbok heart – big and never-say-die – which was in evidence at the Cape Town Stadium.

Sparked by captain Siya Kolisi’s bludgeoning try, the Boks were the only ones to cross the tryline… and only a world champion team can do that twice against the All Blacks.

When you step back and look at how many players – both veterans and newbies – put up their hands – you realise coach Rassie Erasmus is a lucky man to have such an excess of rugby talent at his disposal. And that’s the truth: it is South African rugby, as a whole, which is the best it has been in history.

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