Back-to-back Boks would make them one of rugby's greatest teams ever

If the Springboks manage to defend their Rugby World Cup title on Saturday it will be one of the greatest achievements in Rugby history.

They may not get the credit from across the rugby world, who are too swept up in issues around the game to give the Boks their due, but no other side in World Rugby has had to overcome so much to get so far, and achieved so much success in the process.

For a start, the fact that the Boks have to contest every World Cup away from home - a grim reality after the 2023 version was stolen away from them by France in a now-discredited voting process - and had to do it against a lot of odds.

The reality going forward is that South Africans won’t host a World Cup for a long time ahead - 2027 is in Australia, 2031 in USA and 2035 looks like a joint bid between Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Rugby World Cups are where World Rugby makes their revenue, and with a weak Rand the Boks have no chance of producing the same revenue as countries that trade in the dollar or euro.

So every campaign will be an away campaign, a campaign against a baying home crowd, against the odds, in a foreign country and away from South Africa’s home fans. It is a fact, and one they have had to overcome.

FANNED ACROSS THE WORLD

The consequence of the currency issue is that a large number of the national squad play across the world.

Most are in Europe, but a fair number play in Japan and until the global calendar aligns, there is likely to be this mismatch and a Bok team needs to rely on an outdated Regulation 9 to see their players in the week before a match.

Clubs have the financial muscle and players go where the cash is, so while South Africa has produced ounces of talent, the reality is that there will always be a cash-flush club in Europe that can offer more than what local franchises can offer.

Despite this the Boks have worked out a scenario - one which saw Felix Jones track and interact with Bok players abroad, bring them into the planning process and find a way to keep tabs on all of them.

Relationships were built with clubs to the extent that the Boks sit a lot better than other nations, and have made compromises to keep the relationships good.

A large part of this success has also been on creating more squad depth, on looking beyond just this World Cup and to the next generation as well.

Squad selection for individual games will always be a talking point, but over the larger group the Boks have created depth and a recipe for success that will last way beyond this World Cup.

ATTACKS COME FROM ALL SIDES

The one thing that has been apparent from this Rugby World Cup journey, and while we always knew it would come, was the constant denigration of the Boks' chances and questioning of their tactics by pundits abroad.

While it is easy to point out that teams themselves have never said anything negative - they aren’t allowed to by the strict protocols in place - there are more than enough ways to get a message out.

The Boks were first attacked about their innovative 7-1 split on the bench, which came with risks.

But instead of being applauded for being innovative at test level, they were subjected to calls that World Rugby needed to step in.

Rassie Erasmus was banned from sitting with the reserves - for what reason nobody knows as messages are taken onto the field by medics and physios anyway - and there was a lot of discussion about the traffic lights system.

In a way the Boks kept the rest of the rugby world focused on these sideshows rather than on the play on the field, but it is hard to fault South Africans when they feel as if the world is against them.

The Springboks have a date with destiny on Saturday 28 October 🤩

You cannot miss this one! 📺#RWC2023 | #NZLvRSA pic.twitter.com/BKA28aMbxj
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 21, 2023

REFEREE ABUSE

The way the entire quarterfinal fallout was handled by World Rugby - wittingly or unwittingly - also left a bad taste in the mouth.

Referee Ben O’Keefe was subjected to abuse, so much so that he held a press conference in Paris to explain his calls. When last did you see a referee do that?

The French, with a bitter taste in their mouths, went further and one daily publication “leaked” his referee feedback report.

Normally World Rugby would have been all over the publication for that, but this time there was silence.

And silence when Cobus Reinach had to deal with death threats that involved his family from a French rugby fan.

O’Keefe was widely booed at Stade de France by English and French fans whenever he came on the screen in the semifinal and has been again subjected to detailed discussions of his calls despite several pundits - some of them English props - saying that he got the scrum calls right.

All this has happened against the backdrop of a Springbok team that started the year on the wrong end of refereeing calls and through hard work and discussions with officials were one of the least penalised teams in the World Cup.

To go through the entire pool stage without a yellow or red card was remarkable given the way the World Cup went.

It is a credit to the Boks, but also to the officials that reffed what they saw and weren’t influenced by stigmas and stereotypes.

BONGI’S CASE

By now every person on this planet is familiar with the allegations surrounding Bongi Mbonambi, made by English flanker Tom Curry.

The last thing the Boks wanted in a week of the final was another sideshow to take their attention away from the main thing.

But whether he said it or not, whether it was a misheard translation from Afrikaans of a call, or whatever is decided, they have become the targets of an English press corps that have honed in and focused their anger on the Boks.

One Sky Sports report this week sarcasatically took a swipe at the South African media for not joining in on the pile-on. “The South African media decided to wait for the process to take its course so British journalists had to ask the questions that mattered.”

Then followed clips on what Bongi’s character was like? Was he a team man? Was he liked by his teammates? All questions that surely mattered and were answered by a stone dead face with a bucket cap who looked a lot like Daan Human.

EXCEPTIONAL TO KEEP FOCUSED

But whatever is decided in the matter, and whatever the outcome, it won’t please somebody and will continue to fill press conference questions which the Boks will have to face.

The backdrop of all of this is a Springbok team that is by no means perfect, but has overcome every obstacle placed in their way.

They have recovered from a loss to Ireland where they could and should have used their chances better.

They went head to head against France on their home turf, had little ball and little chance against 80 000 baying fans, but found a way to win through sheer grit and determination.

They had a poor game against England by their own standards, but they found a way to win.

Ironically England employed an effective style that their own press called “anti rugby” just a year ago, but this time the superlatives overflowed when they mimicked the Boks' 2019 game plan.

They’ve had to deal with injures like other teams, setbacks and sometimes not being at their best, and more sideshows than any other team has seen at this World Cup.

But they have kept on winning and kept on believing in themselves as their nation believes in them.

The deep-seated hunger to succeed as a professional sportsman only takes you so far. Bringing hope and joy to a nation desperately in need of good news only takes you so far.

The Boks have done all that and more. And they have done it against the odds.

So if they retain their title this weekend against a tough All Blacks team - the old enemy and a massive threat - they will do something exceptional.

And will deserve to go down as one of the greatest teams in World Rugby history.