Future looks brighter for Springboks as Erasmus sparks revival in fortunes

Commentary Allan Massie

Given that Argentina and South Africa are two of our opponents in the autumn internationals, last week’s match between them in Durban and this evening’s return fixture in Mendoza are of more than usual interest. The Springboks won last week, eventually by a comfortable margin, 34-21, and scoring six tries, all by backs, to the Pumas’ three. Despite their defeat the Argentines looked a lot better, and better organised, than when Gregor Townsend’s young team ran riot against them in the summer; it would be no great surprise if they reverse last week’s result tonight.

Nevertheless there’s more interest perhaps in the South African performance, partly because South African rugby has been in difficulties, partly because results over recent years have been generally poor, but principally because, with Rassie Erasmus as coach – and South African director of rugby – things may be looking up.

We have become so accustomed to the All Blacks’ supremacy that some, especially younger followers of the game, may suppose it’s “aye been”. Not so, of course. Before the other rugbyplaying countries joined, somewhat reluctantly in the sporting boycott during the last decades of the apartheid regime, the Springboks were at least the equal of the All Blacks, and quite often stronger than them. The 1951-52 Springboks were probably the finest team to tour Britain, Ireland and France in the last 50 years of amateur rugby. The South African game was always based on power and skill up front, but that side had some very good backs too.

A leading South African journalist, Rob Houwing, writes that “a return to some sort of golden age is still a long way off ”. Fair enough, but that the possibility is even being aired is testament to the impression that Erasmus has made in a few months. He has done two necessary things.

First, he has accepted that South Africa cannot afford to ignore players who are playing outside South Africa – any more than we can ignore those playing in England or France. So he welcomed some back, notably Willie Le Roux from Wasps, Faf De Klerk from Sale Sharks and Duane Vermeulen from Toulon. All made huge contributions to their two victories over England in June.

Second, more than any previous South African coach, he has happily, even eagerly, accepted the reality of the requirement to field a racially-balanced team. Some of