Adapt or die: Springboks evolving in early stages of World Cup cycle

The Springboks are a team in development, and they will continue their evolution when they take on Ireland in the second Test of the Incoming Series at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.

With a new attack coach in Tony Brown and a new defence coach in Jerry Flannery, as well as former top referee Jaco Peyper on board as their discipline and laws advisor, the Boks are adding to their already settled World Cup winning coaching team.

In last week’s win over Ireland at Loftus, the Boks were already showing off some of their new attacking flair brought in by Brown, and it is only a matter of time before more changes are evident in their game.

“From our side we are definitely a team that is trying new things,” explained Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus at the team announcement earlier this week.

“This is a good time to do it. It was what we were unable to do in 2020, at a similar stage of that World Cup cycle, because of Covid. It is not just adaptations to the attack that we are working on, but defence as well.

“We need to try different things to evolve and to stay within the law changes that have come in. We have to adapt and change or we will die a slow death.”

Duane Vermeulen

The addition of former double World Cup winning Springbok Duane Vermeulen to the coaching staff is also shaking things up and is adding value, as was expressed by Bok hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who said Vermeulen was helping with their breakdown work.

“He’s not a guy that is the boss of the players or anything like that. He brings in things that are still relevant,” said Erasmus.

“I can try to teach guys how we used to steal the ball at the breakdown, and we can look at other coaches, but Duane is a guy who played last year and played against the Irish and for Ulster.

“He’s part of our management team and sometimes in team selection meetings. Sometimes when we think someone isn’t performing and we need to talk to him, Duane can bring a player’s perspective into it, which helps a lot.

“He’s 38, so he’s not a young man anymore. He talks with real experience, and I think the players have received him well. I think he’s really adapted in a way where nobody feels uncomfortable, and I’m really glad about that.”