Springboks back themselves in navigable Rugby World Cup pool

AS the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia was unveiled, Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks have been handed a pool that, on paper, appears comfortably navigable.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

The defending champions are expected to cruise through their group with Italy, Georgia and Romania their opponents, but the challenges of travel and logistics Down Under may prove a subtler test.

Placed in a pool with a mix of emerging teams and familiar rivals, the Springboks are favourites to top the group with a quarterfinal against New Zealand or Australia in the prospects.

Thanks to the new format, where pools of death were taken out, the Boks should also have an easier Round of 16 clash.

The Boks’ pool schedule could include trips between Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, or Adelaide, depending on where they are based for the different matches.

That raises questions about how the team will manage travel fatigue while maintaining peak physical condition.

These intercity journeys, combined with Australia’s notoriously warm spring temperatures, will test even the most seasoned players.