Springboks revelling in historic triumph – with Lions in sights
With Nienaber tipped to step up, planning has started for 2021, writes Tom Cary in Tokyo
Clips of Faf de Klerk cavorting about the South Africa dressing room in his patriotic “budgie smugglers”, and Francois Steyn encouraging Prince Harry to chug bottles of beer had hardly had time to circulate on social media before attention turned to the future.
The Springboks’ victory over England in Yokohama was a wonderful, historic moment for rugby. And for South Africa as a nation. The sight of Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black captain, leading his multiracial team in the post-match celebrations was an image to compare with Nelson Mandela congratulating Francois Pienaar all those years ago.
Indeed, speaking at the World Rugby awards, Pienaar described it as an even bigger moment. The question now is how South Africa capitalise on it, on and off the pitch. With the British and Irish Lions touring the country in 2021, there will be interest on these shores as to how they kick on.
The ominous news for Lions fans is that South Africa may only just be getting started. Head coach Rassie Erasmus – the architect of the win – is stepping back, it is true. The man who turned around the Boks in under two years, from a team who lost eight of their 12 Tests in 2016, including a first-ever defeat by Italy, to one who have just lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time, has coached South Africa for the final time.
But he is only stepping back in the sense that he is relinquishing the hands-on, day-to-day stuff. He is staying on as director of rugby, meaning he will be very much involved in shaping the next phase.
The players clearly believe he will still be the de facto leader. “Coach Rassie made a promise to us that, whatever happens, we will take this momentum forward and make sure that we’re ready for the next World Cup and we will keep the Springbok name up high,” scrum-half De Klerk said.
“We’ve got belief that they have put the right structures in place for us going forward. It’s very positive, and there is sometimes so much talent that gets lost in South Africa in certain ways – but we’ll make sure the Springbok name stays proud.” As for who will take over, the rumour mill is leaning heavily towards Jacques Nienaber, South Africa’s bespectacled defence coach, whose fingerprints were all over Saturday’s victory.
More than just his fingerprints, if truth be told. A revealing picture emerged yesterday of Nienaber,
‘Sometimes so much talent gets lost, but we’ll make sure Springbok name stays proud’
who first joined the South Africa set-up as the team’s physiotherapist, administering on-pitch treatment to Duane Vermeulen while at the same time dishing out tactical advice to De Klerk. Surely a first for an international team.
Vermeulen, wearing a preprinted “2019 world champions” T-shirt, said he could see the merits in appointing Nienaber, who goes way back with Erasmus to their days in the army. “He’s a fantastic guy,” Vermeulen said.
“When I first met him, he was still a physio. Jacques is a fantastic guy, and it’s also nice to see a guy who is in the squad, and in this management team – if it is him – make that step up. He kind of knows the way we want to play.”
Nienaber would certainly have solid foundations on which to build. South Africa’s end-oftournament statistics make for incredible reading.
The Boks lost just one of their 69 line-outs, easily the best in the competition at a success rate of 98.5 per cent.
They also stole a tournamentleading 15 opposition line-outs, and won a tournament-leading 14 penalties at scrum time. In defence, they conceded an average of 0.6 tries per game – again, the best in the competition.
For the moment, everything is rosy. South Africa are, rightly, revelling in the moment, intent on using this victory as a catalyst for social and sporting change.
But Erasmus already has an eye on the Lions. “When I took over it was 618 days to the World Cup and we planned to win it,” he said, smiling. “It is now 614 days to the British and Irish Lions, and we will start planning now.”