Boks Deon Fourie and Grant Williams never stopped chasing (the sun)

Grant Williams and Deon Fourie watched the documentary series that chronicles the Springboks' 2019 Rugby World Cup success in Japan with contrasting perspectives of where their respective careers were in relation to the sun.

Despite their decade-long age gap, however, both were in pursuit of the sun the next time the Boks challenged for the Webb Ellis Cup.

For Fourie, aged 33 at the time Chasing the Sun was screened four years ago, there was the acceptance that his career had reached its twilight and that his Bok prospects had dimmed.

“I watched the 2019 final on a train in France coming back from a game. I watched Chasing the Sun in France and never thought I'd be in it,” he said.

When he watched the doccie series Williams was still considered a young buck with a significant spring in his step.

“At that stage I was still trying to find myself,” recalled Williams. “I didn't even think about becoming a Springbok at that stage. But it was quite emotional watching Chasing the Sun. It motivated me wanting to become a Springbok.”

Both spoke about how emotional and elated they were then for the country and those feelings have been amplified now that they too were part of a World Cup-winning squad and the opportunity to feature in Chasing the Sun 2.

Williams looked palpably relieved when an exclusive screening of the opening episode of the sequel concluded on Wednesday.

“It felt like I was reliving it. I made my World Cup debut in that game and it felt like I was going on again,” he said about South Africa's opening World Cup match game against Scotland in Marseille.

Fourie, too, was transported back in time. “Being part of something special for the Springboks and the country is amazing. It is still surreal. After winning the World Cup I still have to pinch myself.”

Viewers of the pay channel can also relive last year's World Cup triumph in France over the next five Sundays in M-Net's prime time slot. The series appears to have the same energy and cadence as its forerunner.

The first episode, which screens this Sunday. primarily deals with the build-up to the Springboks' opening match against Scotland in Marseille. No-one is left in any doubt about the significance of the match. Often the dialogue is the stuff of rapper's delight with four-letter expletives peppered throughout the prematch routines and it will become more intense, warned Jesse Kriel about latter episodes.

Viewers will be given a strong language advisory before each episode as the producers seek to bring an unvarnished account of what went down in France.

Ultimately the series is intended to be a billet-doux to South Africa, or at least the portion that can afford to watch it.

Though the budget for series allowed the makers to gather content and footage from far and wide it has added to the logistical challenge of bringing the series to screen. Head writer Lungani Zama admits the Springboks' countless meetings, briefings, practice and media sessions during their two-and-a-half month slog on the road is difficult to channel into five coherent episodes.

“It is a challenge having to go through all the footage,” said Zama. “We may have a storyline but then a junior video editor would come up with footage and ask, 'Have you seen this?' That then potentially takes the story in a different direction.”

South Africans were glued to the first series and they are likely to be again from Sunday. Whether the first series will top the first remains to be seen.

It may be as difficult to separate as the actual World Cup triumphs of 2019 and 2023 are for Jesse Kriel.

“They are equally special. I think 2023 meant a lot more to the team and the people,” he said.

“In 2023 we went there with the expectation to win. South Africa saw us as winners. People were saying, 'We can't wait for you guys to bring it back'. They believed. In 2019 no-one really gave us a big chance.”

As was the case with the first edition, viewers best give Chasing the Sun 2 a chance too.