The ever-improving Springboks have found yet another gear in recent weeks, and if all goes to plan in the next two rugby Tests against Argentina, they may become the first Bok team to win back-to-back Rugby Championship titles.
The nation is still buzzing in the wake of the performance in Wellington two weeks ago, where the Boks thrashed the All Blacks 43-10.
South Africa’s sparkling display at the Cake Tin atoned for the 24-17 defeat in Auckland seven days earlier, and set several new records — the most points and tries (six) by a Bok team in a Test match on New Zealand soil, and the biggest win of all time against the All Blacks.
The Springboks have made a habit of breaking records and accumulating trophies and accolades over the past eight seasons, but the significance of the most recent result and performance cannot be overstated.
Victories in New Zealand have been few during the professional era, with the Boks winning just five out of 28 Tests against the All Blacks over the past three decades.
While the latest result is worth celebrating, the quality of the attacking performance at the Cake Tin suggests that the best may be yet to come — in the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship and in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.
The Boks have added another layer to their approach while losing none of their traditional strengths. The attacking statistics make for pleasant South African reading, but there’s something to be said for the powerful scrum, relentless physicality and accurate kick chases that continue to underpin the game plan.
All that said, it’s been a journey of discovery for the Boks since they won the 2023 World Cup in France, and there have been a few bumps in the road.
Coach Rassie Erasmus ticked all the boxes in 2024 — steering the Springboks to 11 wins in 13 matches while using 50 players over the course of the season — and the platform appeared to be set for a dominant 2025 campaign.
The Bok coach continued to rotate his team in the initial matches against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia, using 46 players over the four games. Younger players were given opportunities to impress, and the team tried to play a high-tempo game under the guidance of attack coach Tony Brown, the former All Blacks flyhalf who has become one of the sharpest brains in the game.
The world champions were given the harshest of reality checks in the opening round of the Rugby Championship. After racing to a 22-0 lead inside the first quarter, they failed to manage the game and were put to the sword by a spirited Australian side.
The records tumbled as the Wallabies scored six tries in a 38-22 victory, their first at Ellis Park since 1963. Erasmus was apoplectic at the post-match press conference, going as far as to describe the team’s performance as “dogshit”.
The Boks bounced back the following week in Cape Town, winning 30-22, and took some momentum into the fixture against the All Blacks in Auckland. After 88 years, South Africa appeared ready to end the long losing run at Eden Park, and to snap the All Blacks’ 50-game unbeaten streak in their fortress.
A poor start put paid to South Africa’s ambitions as they leaked 14 unanswered points in the first quarter. Erasmus adjusted the team’s tactics, and they fought back after halftime to finish within seven points, but the opportunity to win at Eden Park — and some might say the greatest opportunity the Boks will ever have — was lost.
The Boks were widely criticised in the build-up to the Wellington Test that would decide the winner of the Freedom Cup. A South African victory would ensure the Boks retain the cup.
In the build-up, former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains — who worked with Erasmus when he was a player in the Cats team — went as far as to question the Bok coach’s character.
Erasmus picked a young backline without established combinations, and there were fears that South Africa might suffer one of their heaviest beatings on New Zealand soil.
The original lineup featured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Canan Moodie and rookie sensation Ethan Hooker. Some of the more optimistic fans suggested that a 30-point winning margin was likely, though it remained uncertain whether such an outcome would favour the Boks or the All Blacks.
It turned out to be the former, with the All Blacks’ set-piece and aerial vulnerabilities exposed in Wellington. The Boks scored 36 unanswered points in a thrilling attacking display, yet the performance was grounded in dominant scrummaging as well as a pinpoint kick-chase strategy that allowed the South Africans to reclaim eight high balls they had launched.
It was total rugby, a blend of power and panache. For the first time in the 2025 Rugby Championship, the Boks’ execution matched their tactical intent, and they achieved their potential.
That result and performance in Wellington will go down in history. It’s tempting to suggest that the next two weeks are relatively insignificant, given that the Boks have already won in New Zealand and retained the Freedom Cup.
But Erasmus and his team want more, and the coach will know how quickly the narrative will change if they lose to Argentina in Durban on Saturday.
The Pumas — coached by former Argentina flyhalf Felipe Contepomi — are a dangerous team, as their recent results suggest.
Earlier this year, they beat the British & Irish Lions 28-24 in Dublin. More recently, the Pumas achieved an inaugural win against the All Blacks in Argentina, and a crucial victory over the Wallabies in Sydney.
The Pumas still have everything to play for in Durban, where they scored a shock win over the Boks in 2015. So the southern hemisphere rugby title race remains wide open.
Australia lead the tournament league table with 11 points, followed by the Boks and All Blacks (both on 10), and the Pumas (nine). Two wins in the next two rounds will be critical, but try-scoring bonus points may determine which team will lift the trophy.
The Wallabies have the tougher draw. They face an All Blacks team who have a point to prove in back-to-back matches. The first of these is on Saturday — again at Eden Park — and the second on October 4 in Perth.
If Australia win both matches with a bonus point, they will win the title outright — regardless of what happens in the two matches between the Boks and Pumas.
But the odds are against the Wallabies winning the first Bledisloe Cup fixture in Auckland this Saturday. The Bledisloe Cup is an annual competition within the Rugby Championship between New Zealand and Australia. The Wallabies last won at Eden Park in 1986, and the All Blacks will be desperate to rebound after their humiliation in Wellington. The Wallabies may be more competitive in the second match in Perth.
The Boks will hope that New Zealand and Australia share the Bledisloe Cup spoils over the next two weeks, thereby eliminating both from contention in the Rugby Championship title race.
But the Springboks will have to win against the Pumas in Durban to boost their own chances of lifting the trophy.
It will be easier said than done against a Pumas team who thrive with ball in hand. Memories of the 48-7 triumph over the Pumas in Nelspruit last year may be tempered by the fact that the Boks lost to the same side in Argentina a week earlier.
In the wake of the euphoria of Wellington, the coming clashes against Argentina present an interesting challenge for the Boks. They need to back up the win in Wellington, and they can’t afford to be too expansive against a team who thrive on broken play.
A balanced and accurate performance will be non-negotiable, and the Bok defence — which delivered a more physical and accurate display in Wellington — will be under the microscope.
If they come through the match with four or five log points, they will head into the final round of the tournament with real confidence.
This year, the second match between the Boks and Pumas won’t be staged in Argentina, but at Twickenham in London, which has been South Africa’s home away from home in recent years. In 2023, the Boks beat the All Blacks there 35-7 ahead of the World Cup. They followed that up with two matches at “Twickers” in 2024, thrashing Wales 41-13 in June before overpowering England 29-20 in November.
At the time, the victory over the All Blacks, in front of a capacity crowd, was a record for the Boks. Many felt that the 28-point margin would not be surpassed, yet two years later, the Springboks have raised the bar, beating the All Blacks by 33 points in Wellington.
With so many South Africans living in London, the Boks will view that clash against Argentina on October 4 as a home game. Playing at “Twickenhamfontein”, the Boks have every reason to consider themselves favourites.
Australia and New Zealand will meet in Perth earlier in the day, which means that the Boks will have a clear idea of what’s required to win the title — in terms of the result, bonus points and even points difference — before kickoff in London.
Of course, they are unlikely to be in the title mix unless they beat Argentina in Durban on Saturday. A bonus-point win would be ideal, as would a defeat for the Wallabies in the earlier Test in Auckland.
The performance and Erasmus’s selections will be under scrutiny in Durban. Fans will be desperate for another victory, and another helping of the total rugby that was dished out by the world champions in Wellington.
The Boks missed an opportunity in Auckland recently, but if they make their chances count over the next two weeks, this story may have a happier and more significant ending.
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