Get the next coach right or struggle for years

THE All Blacks are standing at a crossroads that should make every New Zealand rugby fan feel a little uneas sitting on their couch ahead of the new international season.

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It's amoment that feels very familiar, because this movie has been on the big screen before — just not in black and white, but in green and gold. In 2017, the Springboks were on their knees under Allister Coetzee, especially after losing 57-0 to the All Blacks.

Public trust was almost non-existent, performances were erratic and poor, jerseys were burnt, and the Boks were drifting just two seasons out from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Then, in 2018, came one ruthless but brave decision by SA Rugby: the firing of Coetzee and the appointment of Rassie Erasmus, alongside Jacques Nienaber. The result, as history reminds us, was two Rugby World Cup trophies and a team-wide cultural reset that rewrote the history books of South African — and world — rugby. Four-time world champions still have a good ring to it.