Durban , South Africa - 13 July 2024; Siya Kolisi of South Africa is tackled by Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris and Jack Crowley during the second test between South Africa and Ireland at Kings Park in Durban, South Africa. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
If you have any doubt about who the best rugby team on the planet is — I’m looking at you, international media outlets and rugby pundits — the Ireland series should have cast that doubt aside.
Rassie Erasmus and his Springbok charges are undoubtedly at the top of the game.
Despite losing the second match in Durban, leading to a series draw, the Boks are the number one ranked team in the world, with Ireland narrowly behind.
Although fans will be bitterly disappointed by the narrow loss after two epic late drop goals from Ciaran Frawley, solace can be taken from the margin of the first game victory and lessons can be learnt about game management after the loss.
Having overturned a 10-point deficit at halftime and with 15 minutes to go, the Boks should have held on. Instead, they chose to go defensive mode and look for territory, which the Irish countered perfectly through some impressive running. Holding on to the ball may have been more prudent for the Boks in that situation.
But the match was probably won by the Irish dominance in the first half. It was brutal in a way, something the Boks do to opponents. It must have been scary being on the other end of it. A common theme in the Boks documentary Chasing The Sun is Erasmus telling the players to “physically fuck them up” to dominate the opposition.
This was reversed, as captain Siya Kolisi said in post-match comments when he admitted the physicality and intensity of Ireland were what was the difference between the two test matches. So it may be back to the drawing board for the Boks after the Portugal exhibition match when the Rugby Championship kicks off.
So what did we learn from these two tests against Ireland?
First, never doubt Rassie. The head coach knows what he is doing. Dr Erasmus, after his honorary doctorate for his innovative and exceptional management of the Springboks, recently poached attacking coach Tony Brown. Brown has been the mastermind behind Japan’s fluidity and exciting brand of attacking rugby.
In the first test against Ireland his ingenuity was on display, with speed in ruck clearances and having ball carriers like Kolisi and Peter Steph Du Toit moving into wider areas to target those less congested spaces. The Springboks were sublime, and ended up with a seven-point win. Brown sounds like Rassie when speaking about culture and team cohesion.
Erasmus was also steadfast in his interviews, seemingly tired of his bench split tactic being regularly questioned. He also took time out to heap praise on Ireland, saying they clearly had the Boks number. It will be a sad day when he moves on.
We also learnt that there are detractors who believe Kolisi is past his best. Criticism was aimed at his physique, with naysayers stating he was overweight and sluggish. But he put those critics in their place in the first test when he bounced Robbie Henshaw back to his birthplace — Athlone in Ireland. Off the field, he is still calm, collected and ever the wise leader the Boks need.
The Boks used their most experienced team in both tests. Some players, like Damian Willemse, were missing because of injury, but it was pretty much the squad that’s been getting the team over the line these past few years.
There may be a call for new blood. The likes of Willie le Roux, Faf de Klerk, Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth are no spring chickens. Yet, they all have crucial roles to play.
As for the injury to Le Roux, both Rassi and Kolisi admitted that his absence saw the team lacking in attack. As wily as he is, it offered an opportunity for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu — the young Stormers player who has the world at his hands, or feet, depending on what he is doing on the pitch — to test his mettle. He held his own while playing in such a high-pressure match at the age of 22.
Squad selection
One of the biggest headaches Rassies faces is squad selection. There are a number of players who didn’t play or who played a few minutes who could all slot in easily, such as Canan Moodie, Manie Libbok, Willemse, Salmaan Moerat, Aphelele Fassi and Jasper Wiese.
Moerat has earned himself the captaincy when the team takes on Portugal this weekend.
No one can deny Handré Pollard’s kicking. But Libbok’s gameplay is certainly going to give Rassie a selection headache.
The lineouts will need work. The Boks struggled in that aspect during the two tests; the locks will have to step up their game. Moodie will be wondering what he needs to do to dislodge Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse from the wings.
Kwagga Smith, known as a bench impact player, will have to wrestle the number eight spot from several candidates. One is still Wiese, who is serving a suspension for a dangerous tackle. But Smith is the ultimate bench player in my eyes.
Meanwhile, Grant Williams, who came on for De Klerk, staked a claim for the number nine spot through sheer tenacity, which saw his kick and chase win a lineout far into Irish territory. Don’t forget, he has to contend with Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse, who’ve also shown themselves to be astute when it comes to the scrum-half position. There are also a number of young players in the ranks worth looking at.
One thing is now set in stone, the All Blacks, the Bok’s biggest foe, will be out for blood after their World Cup Final loss.
Erasmus will need all his tactical astuteness and leadership guile to see the Boks bring home the Rugby Championship trophy.