During the build-up to the Rugby World Cup final in 2023, the tagline ‘Who will be the first to four’ became a popular billing phrase. This phrase referenced the fact that both the Boks and the All Blacks were evenly poised at three World Cups apiece at the time, and whoever would have won the final would have been the first to claim four.
On Saturday, the Boks kept pace with this theme, becoming the first team in the professional era of rugby (since 1992) to beat the All Blacks four consecutive times. The great Australian team of the late 90s and early 2000s managed to do the treble against the All Blacks on two occasions. The legendary French team of 1994/95 also managed to beat the All Blacks three times in a row, most impressively two of those victories came in New Zealand. John Smith’s great Springbok side of 2009 managed three consecutive wins during their purple patch after beating the Lions in the same year, but Siya Kolisi’s men once again broke new ground as they became the first to four.
Rotation and depth the bedrock to success
The Springboks’ run of four consecutive wins against the All Blacks comes over a period of a little over a year, stretching from Twickenham on 25 August 2023, to Cape Town on 7 September 2024. What makes this run of victories even more remarkable, is the fact that the Boks managed to do it with no less than 40 unique players featuring in the respective squads.
While some of the changes were forced by injuries, with South Africa struggling with a crisis at lock currently, most of the changes were intentionally introduced as Rassie looks to gradually overhaul a very experienced squad, building towards the 2027 World Cup. During this run of results, the Boks deployed a 7-1 (twice), 6-2 and 5-3 bench, testament to the versatility and adaptability of this current group of players.
Over the four tests, only Frans Malherbe and Siya Kolisi wore the same number on their jerseys for all four, which is remarkable considering it only spans a 54-week period. This approach has its detractors, I was one of the critics a couple of weeks back when Rassie chose almost a completely different team the week following the Bok’s first victory of the Rugby Championship in Sydney. However, what Rassie has managed to create, is an environment where all the players in the broader squad feel trusted; trusted enough to start with everything on the line, and they have repaid Erasmus in gold.
Rassie Erasmus. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)
Erasmus has been in the setup long enough to understand that injuries are a part of the game, and shielding a No.3 or No.4 in a position from the pressure that comes with knock-out matches could be detrimental if an unforeseen sequence of injuries strike at the business end of a tournament and you are dependent on your No.3 to close out a match in a World Cup final.
New game plan not yet well-oiled
Despite the joyous celebrations in the Republic on Saturday evening, after the Boks reclaimed the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009, there will be a realisation that the Boks are not yet at their peak level of performance, which will have the rest of the rugby world even more concerned. Since Tony Brown joined the Boks’ coaching staff, they’ve tried to employ a more expansive game and take the ball wide much faster than a year ago.
Since the Welsh and Irish Tests, it was evident that the South African flankers are playing much wider, and the team looks to leverage their pace and ability to offload the ball in contact. While there have been glimpses of brilliance and signs of what could be, for the most part, the Boks often looked awkward and conceded possession in key areas of the field to allow their opponents easy entries into their 22.
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They looked most dangerous during the latter stages of matches where their pressure game won them penalties, and when they kept the ball close (pick and drives) to bully their way over the try-line.
The Boks of 2021-2023 were renowned for an aggressive, stingy defensive system, and a low error rate, capitalising on opponents’ mistakes after they succumbed to extended periods of pressure. They were also renowned for strong, accurate set pieces, and their good disciplinary record during the 2023 World Cup campaign, being the only team not to concede a yellow or red card during the pool stages.
While this Bok team is keenly looking to evolve and add new arrows to their quiver, they seem to have departed somewhat from their traditional areas of strength, which will be something Erasmus and the group will be aware of amidst the good run of results they have enjoyed. To give substance to this observation, during the Rugby Championship to date, here is where the Springboks rank in the following stats, out of the four teams contesting:
– Tackle completion (fourth, 85.7 per cent)
– Lineouts won (third, 85.9 per cent)
– Scrums won (fourth, 82 per cent)
– Rucks won (fourth, 95 per cent)
– Yellow cards (first, six yellow cards)
The most important stat is obviously that the Boks are four from four, and managed to get over the line despite their sometimes error-strewn performances, but it does beg the question: should the Boks persist on this course?
Rassie’s drive for a different approach may stem from the direction it would appear World Rugby wants to steer the game, with shot clocks now part of almost every area of the game. Eight matches may be too soon to dismiss the idea, especially given the vast number of selection changes over this period, but if the Boks were to become more clinical on both sides of the spectrum (tight and expansive game approaches), they could very well be on on-course for a three-peat of the World Cup in 2027.
All hope should not be lost for the All Blacks
Scott Robertson was met with a lot of antagonism from the travelling Kiwi media during his post-game interview on Saturday evening. While the rugby community in New Zealand will be hurting after their recent run of results, it must be seen with the necessary perspective. Robertson’s pedigree at Super Rugby level is unrivalled, and he came up against arguably the most established squad in World Rugby currently, in their backyards, very early in his tenure.
All Blacks dejected after the try of Malcolm Marx of the Springboks during the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at DHL Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
In contrast to the Boks, the All Blacks lost three Test centurions in Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Aaron Smith, and also lost two linchpins from their last victory against the Boks in Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell – five players who could have easily had an impact on the outcome of the results, especially given how close it ended up being.
Despite their absence, the All Blacks scrum held their own for the greatest part and showed they could go toe-to-toe with the Bok set piece. Their downfall came with their inability to bring the same quality from the bench as the Boks in the final 30 minutes of matches; but given the riches of talent in New Zealand, this is something Robertson can address over the next three-year period.
There are also several new generation All Blacks in Tupou Vaa’i, Wallace Sititi, Ethan Blackadder and Cortez Ratima, who troubled the Springboks at times and would have gained from this experience by the next time they face the Boks in 2025.
For now, Rassie’s men look set to lift the Rugby Championship trophy for the first time in five years. They could put it beyond the reach of the Pumas should they manage to get an away win in Argentina on 21 September. Even if they should fail to do so, they will have the chance to wrap it up in Mbombela a week later. The Springbok fans are spoiled in what is certainly a golden era for Bok rugby, and they will hope that it continues for many years to come.
Four Springbok teams that faced New Zealand in the last four matches:
Twickenham, Paris, Ellis Park, Cape Town
1 Steven Kitshoff, Steven Kitshoff, Ox Nche, Ox Nche
2 Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Bongi Mbonambi, Bongi Mbonambi
3 Frans Malherbe, Frans Malherbe, Frans Malherbe, Frans Malherbe
4 Eben Etzebeth, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth
5 Franco Mostert, Franco Mostert, Ruan Nortjé, Ruan Nortjé
6 Siya Kolisi, Siya Kolisi, Siya Kolisi, Siya Kolisi
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit
8 Duane Vermeulen, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Jasper Wiese
9 Faf de Klerk, Faf de Klerk, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams
10 Manie Libbok, Handré Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Handré Pollard
11 Makazole Mapimpi, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe
12 André Esterhuizen, Damian de Allende, Damian de Allende, Damian de Allende
13 Canan Moodie, Jesse Kriel, Jesse Kriel, Jesse Kriel
14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie
15 Damian Willemse, Damian Willemse, Aphelele Fassi, Willie le Roux
16 Bongi Mbonambi, Deon Fourie, Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx
17 Trevor Nyakane Ox Nche Malcolm Marx Lukhanyo Am
18 Ox Nche, RG Snyman, Vincent Koch, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
19 RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch
20 Jean Kleyn, Jean Kleyn, Handré Pollard, Elrigh Louw
21 Marco van Staden, Willie le Roux, Kwagga Smith, Gerhard Steenekamp
22 Kwagga Smith, Trevor Nyakane, Grant Williams, Kwagga Smith
23 Cobus Reinach, Jasper Wiese, Elrigh Louw, Jaden Hendrikse
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