The road to Cup glory begins now
LEGEND: RASSIE ERASMUS HAS TICKED ALL THE BOXES
Ken Borland
Another Rugby World Cup is upon us and these days the All Blacks are not automatic favourites, according to Springbok legend Bakkies Botha, who believes South Africa have a very good chance of upstaging the defending champions in their titanic clash in Yokohama tomorrow.
“The margins are so small these days in international rugby and I think it’s going to be the most unpredictable World Cup ever, I think we’re going to see a few surprises and upsets. No team really stands out and you wouldn’t say the All Blacks are in great form or definitely top of the table. The gap has closed dramatically, especially by the Springboks,” Botha told The Citizen.
There will be many different languages spoken at the World Cup, but the words “Bakkies Botha” will be synonymous with massive physical presence among all the teams. The enforcer lock in South Africa’s 2007 World Cup triumph believes, however, that more cerebral qualities will also play a big role for the Springboks in this campaign.
“Rassie Erasmus is a very clever coach, I played against him so I know how clever he is, and he knows how to handle every player to get the best out of them. Rassie has ticked all the boxes and if you think back to the 2015 World Cup and where we were compared to today – it’s two different teams and approaches. It’s much more positive now,” Botha said.
One of the most passionate players to ever pull on the Green and Gold – and he did it 87 times – Botha’s enthusiasm for this World Cup to now get underway knows no bounds.
“I’m getting goosebumps just talking about Saturday’s game! I’ve been getting up every morning and thinking ‘Can the days just pass please because I’m ready to go now?’ Let’s go!” Botha said.