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The feat Owen Farrell achieved with Lions series that no man has in pro era
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Did Rassie Erasmus miss a trick with his latest South Africa squad?
Rassie Erasmusā latest Springboks squad selection serves as evidence of two important truths in elite sport: nothing comes easy at the top and winning makes the wheels go round.
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The group picked to take on Scotland, England and Wales next month is stacked with familiar faces. Of the 34 players assembled, 29 are World Cup winners. Prop Gerhard Steenkamp, lock Ruan Nortje, the versatile Jan-Hendrik Wessels, loose forward Elrigh Louw and fullback Aphele Fassi are the only members who do not have a golden medal or two stacked away at home.
Theyāll be desperate for a piece of that glory. Theyāll be acutely aware that they have fought their way into a very exclusive club. This Springboks outfit is a winning machine, a juggernaut that has mostly stayed intact for eight years despite so much talent and heft pushing at the gates.
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Monikers like āgolden generationā can be overused, but it is undeniable that South African rugby is currently sitting on top of a deep mine bursting with Test-quality players. Their depth is insane. Serious people are asking with straight faces if South Africaās second team could win the Rugby Championship in place of the regulars.
Thatās just silly banter, right? Well perhaps if Siya Masuku got enough front foot ball, and if Cameron Hanekom had enough room to roam, and if that side was bolstered by some injured players like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Jean Kleyn, and if some squad members like Andre Esterhuizen and Thomas du Toit could also get involved, then maybe? Possibly?
Of course, we donāt really know. And therein lies the danger of Erasmusā insistence on consistency. Appearance records for individuals and combinations on the pitch feel like theyāre being broken every other week but several players have only an outside chance of reaching the next World Cup. And whether or not itās uncouth to say it, the global showpiece really is the one thing that matters most of all.
Which is why some selections for a European tour that does not include Ireland or France feel a little off. Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux and Makazole Mapimpi are still performing, but could at least one of them have made way for someone new?
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Was there no room for a young hooker? On SA Rugbyās press release, Wessels is listed as a āUtility Forwardā. Heāll likely get a shot in the front row but thereās something about backing a player in a manner that says, āYouāre the next cab off the rank. Hereās a jersey with a specific number on it. Go make it your own.ā
No doubt Erasmus knows what heās doing. Thatās what sustained success gets you. You can make just about any decision and itāll likely get something close to unanimous support.
Which only amplifies the argument that some experimentation would have been well received. A look at another centre could have been interesting. So too would a tweak to the back row that could have seen an inexperienced rookie learn on the job alongside a couple of legends. A look to the future was on offer for Erasmus but he turned it down. This was a misstep.
Because letās face it, apart from the game against England, which is a job that does require the veterans, the absence of the continentās top two teams means the Boks should have ample firepower to take care of Scotland and Wales.
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Scotland are a quality team, full of dash and daring and sharp edges from front to back. Wales, for all their recent woes, still front up and have a smattering of individuals ā especially in the back row ā capable of challenging for places in better teams. But letās be real. If either side runs South Africa close it would constitute a shock.
Then again, the Springboks havenāt made a clean sweep of Europe since 2013. And what does Erasmus, a man who already has most of whatās available, still need to complete his set? An unblemished tour would look nice alongside all his other trinkets.
That doesnāt mean some questions donāt need answering. Thereās a good chance this is the final run for a few warhorses. Erasmus might want one look at Lukhanyo Am at 12, or see if thereās room for Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse in the same backline. Can Handre Pollard have a multi-phase attack plan? Does Manie Libbok have the minerals to be trusted when a game is on the line?
There are other structural questions that need addressing. At times during the Rugby Championship the vaunted rush defence was off-key, as if members of the band were playing different tracks all at once. If this isnāt fixed, some clever coach is going to put together a plan that can truly hurt the Boks.
The breakdown could also do with a clean-up. New Zealandās early ascendency in consecutive Tests was wrought through a simple approach. They clattered the South African ruck and isolated ball carriers. Were it not for the All Blackās inferior bench, we might be having an entirely different conversation about a team looking to cement its status as the worldās best.
Because that is what South Africa are right now. World Rugbyās rankings are calculated with unthinking maths, but anyone who understands this game knows that South Africa are the current kings of the oval ball. Thatās not cheerleading. Thatās not trumpeting the party line. Itās just how it is.
Previous iterations have blown hot and cold during the troughs between World Cups. Has Erasmus ā a master at turning perceived slights into points to prove ā identified that this is an opportunity to really ram home his teamās supremacy?
If so then his selections make total sense. Win now, win well, dominate, leave no doubts, silence dissent. For a team emboldened by a sense of mission, maintaining a dynasty can be a powerful motivator.
But then the stakes only get higher. There are no excuses. South Africa will traverse the United Kingdom with one single goal. Nothing other than perfection will be accepted.
