Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen, Lukhanyo Am, Rassie Erasmus, Cheslin Kolbe, Tendai Mtawarira and Handre Pollard during the South African national rugby team arrival press conference at Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport on August 12, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
Optimism is high in South African rugby circles following the Springboks’ low-key but deserved clinching of the Rugby Championship title at the weekend.
While coach Rassie Erasmus is right in cautioning that this achievement won’t mean much if the World Cup campaign isn’t a success, this trophy success is certainly a welcome boost in momentum.
More importantly, the Springboks look like a focused and happy group of players.
That’s certainly the united message from three key senior men.
BEAST MTAWARIRA
Tendai Mtawarira during the South African national rugby team arrival press conference at Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport on August 12, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
This is the best Bok team environment I’ve ever experienced … and that’s really not a lie. I talked to Eben about this over the weekend and what excites us is that there really are no egos here. Everybody wants to do well, give their best every weekend.
I’m privileged to be here and I’ve been in many Springbok teams over the years. It’s really been about ownership over the last two years. The players have been taking responsibility for their own departments so to speak. The planning has stood out for me, everybody knows what the plan is and everybody is exactly aware of what they need to execute. We’ve brought into it and we’re working towards it.
DUANE VERMEULEN
Duane Vermeulen during the South African national rugby team arrival press conference at Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport on August 12, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
I had an open seat next to me, it was convenient to let the Rugby Champs trophy sit it next to me! (laughs). Yeah, there has been some blood, sweat and tears, but it’s not just my reward. This for the team. Everyone worked so hard. This isn’t even our final goal, it’s a stepping stone towards the World Cup.
It’s great to come back with a bit of silverware. Leading the team is actually an easy task. There’s a group of senior guys who all have clear roles and responsibilities. Then it’s easy to just run out in front out of the tunnel. You just have to do a few team talks and talk to the ref. There’s a helluva lot of excitement in the camp, and while we’re trying to achieve more consistency we’re pretty happy with where we are.
EBEN ETZEBETH
Eben Etzebeth during the South African national rugby team arrival press conference at Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport on August 12, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
The detail when you come into the Springbok camp stands out. My teammates talked about us taking ownership of our playing responsibilities, but it’s the same with the coaching staff too. Each of the specialist coaches are very thorough with communicating their plans. When you run on to the training field, you know exactly what you’re practicing and what you need to do during the game. It’s really next-level stuff and we as players constantly talk about that. It’s a great confidence booster. There’s so much clarity.
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