The Springboks’ successive wins over New Zealand brought with it the Freedom Cup, a trophy last won by South Africa in 2009. It has also put the team closer to winning their first six-match Rugby Championship in 15 years.
Since coach Rassie Erasmus took the job in 2018, this team have won back-to-back World Cups and a Test series against the British & Irish Lions. After Saturday’s match in Cape Town, Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi extolled the merits of the team and the significance of rugby’s most famous rivalry.
While their victories at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium were flawed, the team’s belief in the system never wavered. The Boks banked a couple of huge wins to burnish their legacy, and to send a message to their opponents: they are not done yet.
Erasmus has often spoken about building a team ahead of 2027 to win a third consecutive World Cup. That tournament in Australia remains the goal, though a longer replay of events lies ahead.
In the build-up to the Cape Town Test, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said plans to amplify “rugby’s greatest rivalry” and bring back long tours were gathering momentum.
The All Blacks will return to South Africa in 2026 for three Tests as well as midweek matches against South Africa A, and the
Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions. In 2030, the Boks will travel to New Zealand for a similar tour.
These quadrennial tours will boost the finances of SA Rugby and New Zealand Rugby. There are also plans to play a fourth Test at an overseas venue, where another big payday is likely.
These tours could rival the Lions tours for interest and intensity. The Boks haven’t won a series in New Zealand since 1937, and the All Blacks claimed their only series victory in South Africa in 1996.
Experimental selections and squad rotation certainly haven’t hurt the Boks in recent months
Having clinched the Freedom Cup, the Boks will turn their attention to the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship. As things stand, they hold a commanding lead at the top of the standings, and need three more log points — or, to put it another way, one victory from the next two clashes against Argentina — to win the title.
Erasmus has decided to split his squad for the final two rounds of the tournament. One group will travel to Santiago ahead of the Test on September 21, while a second combination will remain at home to prepare for the finale in Mbombela a week later.
Experimental selections and squad rotation certainly haven’t hurt the Boks in recent months. A youthful side thrashed Wales 41-13 at Twickenham in June, while a much-changed combination banked two big wins in Australia.
Little will change as the Boks gear up for the double-header against Argentina. Erasmus will continue to experiment and back younger players with the 2026 series against New Zealand and the 2027 World Cup in mind, while also looking to extend South Africa’s winning streak.
Argentina have enjoyed mixed results over the first four rounds of the Rugby Championship, beating the All Blacks 38-30 in Wellington before losing 42-10 in Auckland the following week. After losing 20-19 to Australia in Buenos Aires, the Pumas bounced back to claim a record-breaking 67-27 victory over the Wallabies in Santa Fe.
The Boks will have watched that recent game in Argentina with interest. Their defence made a statement when they kept the All Blacks tryless — no mean feat given the New Zealanders’ attacking reputation — but they shouldn’t underestimate the threat of this Pumas side.
The Bok attack remains a work in progress, even though they outscored the All Blacks by five tries to four in the recent two-match series. Before that they racked up 63 points and nine tries across the two matches in Australia.
Some critics remain unconvinced, but there’s something to be said for a Bok team that can win four consecutive Rugby Championship matches and still have so much room for improvement. As Erasmus has suggested, the best is still to come.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.