The Springboks of South Africa can be coined as the ‘sleeping giants of international rugby.’ They are one of the most successful teams in the history of the game with two Rugby World Cup titles under their belt. Only one nation, the New Zealand All Blacks, have a better World Cup record while Australia match them with two titles of their own.

The Springboks were a mighty side going into the last World Cup in 2015, but have experienced very challenging times since. Only this year have they managed to turn things around and resurface some of their former glory. Despite still being underdogs, 2018 has given hope to the men in green and gold, and their supporters alike, that 2019 could once again be their year.

2014-2015

At the start of 2014, South Africa was ranked second in the world. Back then, it was a norm for this nation to be in the top three. The question was mainly who would join them, Australia or New Zealand, as the trio would jockey around the world rankings (how times have changed!)

Heyneke Meyer was the head coach back then with an impressive record. His side mainly consisted of senior players who were heading towards the end of their careers such as Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, JP Pietersen, Jannie du Plessis, and Bismarck du Plessis among others. His side also had a good touch of young stars including Handré Pollard, who made his debut that season along with Damian de Allende. Many of the current Springboks were also involved in the Springbok cap back then such as Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, and Willie le Roux.

It was a successful year for Meyer’s team as they beat the All Blacks for the first time since 2011. They played 13 games and won nine of them. This, of course, gave them the confidence they needed going into the World Cup year that followed.

Meyer did not make too many changes to his side in 2015. Jesse Kriel is the biggest name to have made his debut that year. It was a strange year for the Springboks. They infamously lost to Japan in the World Cup, yet managed to take home the bronze medal and secure a third-place spot in the world rankings. It was obvious that a new dawn for Springbok rugby was arising when it was announced that Meyer would no longer coach his country’s national team. Senior Springboks were retiring and there was a need for new, young South African heroes to take over.

2018

Fast forward three years and that is exactly what South Africa has. It took two years of immense experimentation and rotation in the squad and coaching staff to reach the point that South Africa is at now. It is not an ideal situation since this year’s team and coaching set up is vastly different to that of last year, which has given the new man in charge, Rassie Erasmus, very little time to prepare for the World Cup.

This year has seen many international debutants including Aphiwe Dyantyi, Sbu Nkosi, Cheslin Kolbe, Ivan van Zyl, Ox Nche, Kwagga Smith, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Embrose Papier, Akker van der Merwe, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Damian Willemse, and some others. This is an indicator of an explosion of talent in South Africa which will leave Erasmus smiling ear to ear.

Erasmus seems to have a strong coaching staff behind him, namely Matt Proudfoot, Mzwandile Stick, and Jacques Nienaber. They were able to mold their players into a strong unit but also a very inconsistent one. This year consisted of many highs and lows. Despite disappointing losses to Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championship, they were able to defeat the world’s number one side, New Zealand, away from home, which shows that they can beat any team on the right day. 2018 will give hope to South Africans as 2019 approaches.

What does that tell us looking forward to 2019 and Japan?

The Springboks were in a completely different situation leading into the last World Cup in 2015, hosted by England. They had a completely different coaching setup and squad. The only similarity was that one year out from the competition, they beat New Zealand, which echoes what happened in September of this year. That did seem to provide Heyneke Meyer’s boys with confidence when they faced the All Blacks in the semifinal and nearly won. The game ended in a two-point difference.

We can be sure that the same confidence will be exhibited by Rassie Erasmus’ side when they face their old rivals in the group stage in Japan.

2015 also showed us that one should never write the Springboks off. After their humiliating loss to Japan, few would have expected the South Africans to be real competition for the title. Yet, they managed to finish with a bronze medal.

This is, of course, the past and remains in the past. It is very difficult to predict how the Springboks will do in next year’s World Cup. With their occasional stellar performances of 2018, the South Africans have proven that they are a real threat. They are far from favorites considering they are ranked fifth in the world, but they are indeed a dark horse. If Erasmus manages to push his players to their full potential in every game of the World Cup, then we might just see them in a semifinal or final spot.

Check back on Monday when we will look at the next team and where they are less than a year out from the Rugby World Cup.