Former Ireland wing Shane Horgan insists that the Springboks are the best in the world by a significant margin and could be for some time.
After winning an unprecedented fourth Rugby World Cup, South Africa did not take a break in 2024, winning the Rugby Championship and 11 of their 13 matches.
That was despite significant turnover, as they tried 50 players this year with an eye toward the next world event in Australia in 2027.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus realizes that the Boks must rebuild the group as the core of the side that won back-to-back World Cups approaches the end of their careers.
Mix of youth and experience
Erasmus has begun to achieve this, but he has also retained their experienced players, resulting in a strong mix in 2024.
The Springboks’ execution of the fundamentals has repeatedly served them well, and Horgan, who was appearing on The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby podcast, began by applauding their performance at the contact area.
“What has emerged from the autumn, if it has to be reiterated, is the significance of breakdown. “South Africa’s clearance at the ruck is phenomenal,” the Ireland great stated.
“Ireland were off in the first couple of games, both in terms of resourcing and accuracy, and that is something that never happens to South Africa.”
The Springboks concluded the year as the number one team in the World Rugby standings, and Horgan believes they will remain such in 2025.
“South Africa are intimidatingly good at the moment, and for a very long period into the future,” he went on. “It’s not like they’re hopping around from number one to number three on the world rankings.
“Let’s not talk about this for a long time; these are far ahead of everyone right now.
“They’re phenomenal – impeccable at the breakdown and ferocious.”
Horgan was then questioned by host Alex Payne on the squad’s age profile, given several of their greats are now in their 30s.
Some may miss the next World Cup, and Payne worried how that would effect them as they rebuild, but Horgan disagreed.
The 46-year-old feels that the emerging talent is more than capable of replacing those who played crucial roles in their last two World Cup victories.
‘Conveyor belt of talent’
“If you look at their depth, they just have a conveyor belt of talent,” the coach said.
“There may be an element of that but it’s absolutely perfect fertile ground for development, and I don’t it’s that all these guys will drop out at once and then they have to find a new team.”It will continue to evolve, as it has for some time now. “I think they’ll be okay.”You see Etzebeth [against Wales] with his support line? It’s like ‘what?’ How is he doing this? Phenomenal. It was particularly evident since he never slowed his speed.
“I was like, ‘How is he anywhere near this guy?'” “And he was.”
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