Coaching consistency key to Springbok dynasty

FOR much of the professional era, the Springboks were justifiably criticised for targeting World Cups at the expense of everything in between.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

Before Rassie Erasmus took over the Springbok reins in 2018, the Boks had won just three Tri Nations/ Rugby Championship titles since the tournament began in 1996, but had bagged two World Cups.

Under Erasmus, the Boks have added two more World Cups while also claiming two more Championships (2024 and 2025), becoming back-to-back “nog al” winners. This new consistency between World Cups is hardly by accident — it is very much by design.

The dew had barely settled on the Boks’ 2019 World Cup final win in Japan when Erasmus said the team had to have the ambition to be No. 1 in the world between World Cups, rather than just peaking for the global showpiece, followed by a historical player and coach clear-out as a new four-year cycle began.

The key to this, of course, was Erasmus and the core of his coaching staff continuing. Oddly, it took SA Rugby so long to realise the value of consistency in the Springbok setup, when it had been clear that this had underpinned the success of the All Blacks in the professional era.