MARK KEOHANE | Boks’ imperfect 10 out of 10

On reflection, the Springboks may just have played the perfect month of rugby up north in preparation for a successful 2023 World Cup defence. 

My pre-tour columns insisted that England would be the most defining Test match for the Springboks in November. England, under the guise of Eddie Jones, present the biggest threat to the Boks at next year’s World Cup, simply because they have the easier side of the draw. The Boks, to get to England, will have to beat one of hosts France or the All Blacks in a quarter-final. This will depend on whether they finish one or two in a pool group that includes the world’s current top-ranked side Ireland. 

The Boks, who beat England 2-1 in a home series in Rassie Erasmus’s first series as Bok coach in 2018, lost 12-11 to England at Twickenham later that year. Jones’s team had been together for four years and Erasmus had enjoyed four months with his team. When they met in the World Cup final a year later, South Africa smashed England 32-12.

Fast forward to last year’s final international of the season for the Boks against England at Twickenham. The Boks had been together for four years and Jones picked a team, many of whom were in their first few months of Test rugby. England’s kids won 27-26. The psyche had shifted in an instant. Jones had young players believing in themselves and not awed by the prospect of beating the World Cup holders and some of the most experienced internationals currently playing the game. 

A week ago, Erasmus, as national director of rugby, and Jacques Nienaber, as Bok coach picked a combination of kids and world champions to play an England squad stronger than a year ago, more experienced and with few newbies. This time it was the Bok newbies who thrived and the Bok 2019 World Cup-winning old boys who triumphed emphatically.

It was not so much a mental victory for the Boks, but a blow so crushing on every level, it is doubtful England have enough time to recover should they meet the Boks in the latter stages of the World Cup. 

England know they are in trouble against the Boks next year and France and Ireland, both playing at home, know they should have lost to a Bok team that is evolving and can only improve. 

Ireland and France have been the in-form teams in world rugby for the past two seasons. France are 13 wins in 13 starts and Ireland have won 13 in succession at home, but in November there was enough to suggest that both France and Ireland may have peaked in the wrong year. France won by a point in the last minute against Australia in Paris and France beat the Springboks through a penalty in the final two minutes.

The Boks, a week earlier, had lost by three points to Ireland, and missed seven points through two failed conversions and a fluffed penalty. The Bok coaches played two very different starting line-ups against Ireland and France before settling on the most effective combination available against England because none of their French and English-based club players were released for a Test played outside the international window. This window gives the clubs priority over countries unless the clubs agree on the release. The English clubs agreed to release only those who were playing for England. It did not help England on match-day. They were destroyed. 

In between the opening two tour defeats and the euphoria of hammering England, the Boks crushed an Italian team that the week previously had beaten Australia. Statistically, the tour ranks a 50% return. A performance rating, from the combined four Tests, would be between six or seven from 10. But when it comes to the mental warfare this was as close to a 10 from 10 as you will get. 

England know they are in trouble against the Boks next year and France and Ireland, both playing at home, know they should have lost to a Bok team that is evolving and can only improve. We have seen the best of France and Ireland; not so the Boks and to a lesser degree the All Blacks, who are on the rise but perhaps two years out from the peak needed to win the World Cup. 

The Boks, officially ranked fourth in the world, are unofficially ranked one to successfully defend the title. At least they are in my book.

Mark Keohane is the founder of keo.co.za, a multiple award-winning sports writer and the content director at Habari Media. Twitter: @mark_keohane