Habana hails Kolisi’s Springboks ‘the best we have seen’

Former World Cup-winning wing Bryan Habana has hailed the Siya Kolisi’s current Springbok side “the best we have ever seen” following their winning of the Rugby Championship last weekend.

Kolisi’s team beat the Wallabies twice in Australia, beat the All Blacks twice in South Africa while they also hammered Argentina at home in Mbombela in their final match last weekend. The Boks’ only loss in the competition was a 29-28 defeat to Argentina in Argentina.

The Rugby Championship triumph comes just a year on from the Boks winning their second straight World Cup, in France in 2023, to go with the World Cup they also won under Kolisi’s leadership in Japan in 2019.

Habana, who played in over 100 Tests for the Boks and is widely regarded as one of the best wings to have played the game, is also a World Cup winner, from 2007.

‘Best we have seen’

Speaking to SportsBoom.com, Habana said: “Just looking at what this Springboks team as a collective have done over the last six years under Rassie (Erasmus) in charge, it’s undoubtedly the best Springboks side we have ever seen.

“The manner in which they kicked on from the World Cup (in 2023) … yes, there were the disappointing losses to Ireland and Argentina, but nevertheless, this side have broken records and done what no other Springbok team have done.”

Habana, who won 124 caps for the Boks and played his last Test in 2016, added: “Their success has put them on a pedestal and long may it continue.

“If you look at the way they have managed to bring South Africans together from all walks of life, it is extremely special.

“It is special to see this team achieve greatness.”

Habana added the Boks were in a “good space” and highlighted a number of players for special mention.

World Player of the Year

“They are expanding their thought processes about how they are playing the game, and just the depth that Rassie is creating puts them in a really good space.

“They will definitely be unhappy with the two losses this season (by one point each against Ireland in Durban and Argentina in Santiago) because it was potentially a year in which they could have gone unbeaten. Those last-minute losses would have hurt badly but it was an opportunity for Rassie to blood quite a few youngsters.

“(But) Eben Etzebeth has become the most capped Bok player of all time and is only getting better with age, Pieter-Steph du Toit is surely in the reckoning to be nominated for World Player of the Year … Siya (Kolisi), Cheslin (Kolbe), Damian de Allende and Handre Pollard, if you look at those names and the manner in which they are playing, it puts South Africa in a phenomenal space where we could have our most success between World Cups, which has been a rarity since the game progressed in ’96.”

The Boks are next in action in Europe in November when they take on Scotland, England and Wales on consecutive weekends.