Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

‘Difficult to get excited’ - Habana bluntly cuts through positive talk surrounding Springboks

South Africa celebrate winning their series against England

In October 2015 South Africa were 80 minutes away from having the chance to win a third world title, but less than two and a half years later the Springboks were in disarray.

ADVERTISEMENT

Allister Coetzee endured a woeful tenure upon replacing Heyneke Meyer, overseeing just 11 victories in 25 Test matches. An inauspicious start produced a record for the most defeats South Africa have suffered in a calendar year as they lost eight of his first 12 matches in charge in 2016.

That stretch included their first ever defeat to Italy, maiden losses away to Argentina and at home against Ireland and their heaviest beating on home soil when they went down 57-15 to New Zealand – a year later the All Blacks reproduced that tally to nil for the Springboks’ worst ever defeat.

Coetzee was unsurprisingly dispensed with at the end of 2017 and Rassie Erasmus added the responsibilities of head coach his to his director of rugby role, immediately acknowledging the huge task he had in order to turn things around.

The rebuild got off to a strong start as newly appointed captain Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black skipper, led the team in a 2-1 series victory over Eddie Jones’ ailing England in June, with both wins seeing them display immense character to overturn hefty first-half deficits.

Continue reading below…

Video Spacer

While there is understandably renewed positivity, thinking about another deep run at the 2019 Rugby World Cup would be extremely premature.

Bryan Habana, part of the side that finished third in England three years ago, says the focus must be solely fixed on the impending Rugby Championship, which he believes will give a true indication of what can be expected from the Springboks in Japan next year.

ADVERTISEMENT

“A year out from the World Cup it’s always difficult to get excited,” Habana told Omnisport, speaking courtesy of Coco Fuzion 100.

“I think for Rassie he’ll be looking short term and the Rugby Championship will be a pretty big status point in terms of where the Springbok side is in terms of the quality of opposition they’ll be facing in New Zealand and Australia and Argentina, who have the Jaguares who went on a four-win streak of Australasia in Super Rugby.

“So the Rugby Championship will be a bit of a marker in terms of where they’re heading and I think there’s a lot of positivity, but I think one can only evaluate and make some clearer indications post the Rugby Championship.”

Under Coetzee South Africa won just three of their 14 matches away from home, only one of which came in the Rugby Championship when they beat Argentina 41-23 in Salta in August 2017.

ADVERTISEMENT

Having been victorious in their most recent series on home soil, they will be confident of getting off to a strong start against the Pumas in Durban on Saturday.

Erasmus’ men then face a tricky trip to Mendoza for his first away Test at the helm – their 22-20 defeat to Wales took place in Washington DC – which represents the next challenge in the head coach’s restoration job.

If South Africa can provide an improving Argentina, defending champions New Zealand and Australia with much sterner tests on the road, Habana will be far more confident in their standing among the tier one nations.

Asked what would constitute success for the Springboks, the former winger said: “The last couple of championships, getting record scores against New Zealand at home and away, not being able to win a game away from home – there’s quite a few.

“I think being able to beat Argentina up first and then going to Argentina and trying to win, and then going to Australasia and being a force to be reckoned with, trying to push Australia strong and show that we can fight with the best in the world on their turf.

“Obviously given that the World Cup is in Japan next year, you know you’re going to be on foreign territory and being able to know that you can do well is going to be really important.

“So that experience of being able to enjoy positivity overseas, and then coming back to South Africa and trying to beat Australia and New Zealand, which we haven’t been able to do for the last two years.

“[There are] a lot of challenges and post-Rugby Championship a clear indication of where exactly they stand will be able to be made.”

It is hard to argue with that assessment.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

E
Elizabeth M Joshua 1 hour ago
What Newcastle 'can’t legislate for' as they face fellow basement dwellers

## A Remarkable Recovery

I'm Elizabeth Joshua from Mississippi, and my journey to recovering my stolen USDT coins was nothing short of miraculous. It began with a devastating loss of $267,400 to a cunning scammer. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, and I thought my money was gone forever. Website: Brunoequickhack.COM

However, my luck changed when I stumbled upon Brunoe Quick Hack's services online. Their reputation for being reliable and efficient in recovering stolen cryptocurrency caught my attention. I decided to take a chance and reached out to them.

To my surprise, Brunoe Quick Hack's team was professional, responsive, and transparent throughout the entire process. They worked tirelessly to track down the scammer and recover my stolen USDT coins. Their expertise and dedication were truly impressive.

In a remarkable turn of events, Brunoe Quick Hack successfully recovered my stolen funds. I was overjoyed and relieved to see the money safely returned to my account. WhatsApp: +1705-784-(2635)

My experience with Brunoe Quick Hack has been nothing short of exceptional. Their service is top-notch, and I highly recommend them to anyone who has fallen victim to cryptocurrency scams. If you're looking for a reliable and efficient solution to recover your stolen funds, look no further than Brunoe Quick Hack.

## A Testimonial to Excellence

I'm thrilled to refer Brunoe Quick Hack's services to the globe. Their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to customer satisfaction are truly remarkable. If you need help recovering stolen cryptocurrency, don't hesitate to reach out to Brunoe Quick Hack. They are the real deal. Email: BrunoequickhackATgmail.com

0 Go to comments
d
dimitrirassam299 1 hour ago
Don't get out over your skis on the Highlanders

For months, I had been diving deep into the world of cryptocurrency, excited by the opportunities and promises of financial freedom. Like many others, I had heard of people making life changing gains overnight, and I wanted my share of the success. Unfortunately, in my eagerness, I fell victim to a well disguised scam that drained my Ethereum ETH holdings. It started when I stumbled upon an investment platform that seemed too good to be true but in my greed and hope, I ignored the warning signs. The website had polished testimonials, a smooth interface, and a community that appeared legitimate. I transferred a significant amount of Ethereum, expecting high returns in a matter of weeks. Days turned into weeks, then months, and soon  I realized I had been scammed,I was devastated. That money was not just a financial asset; it was my hard earned savings, my dreams of financial security. I reached out to the so-called support team of the platform, but my emails went unanswered, and the website eventually vanished. I was left with nothing but regret.Just when I was about to give up, a friend told me about Washington Recovery Pro a specialized asset recovery service that had helped victims like me retrieve lost funds from fraudulent schemes. Skeptical but desperate, I decided to reach out. Their response was swift and professional. They assured me that while many scams are sophisticated, their team had the expertise to trace and recover stolen digital asset one day, I woke up to an email notification that your funds had been successfully recovered. I logged into my crypto wallet, and there it was my ETH, safely returned. I could hardly believe it.For anyone who has lost money in crypto scams, I say that there is still hope. Washington Recovery Pro proved that with the right team, justice can prevail.their handles.

WhatsApp-‪  +1 (903) 249‑8633‬

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Worcester Warriors return to play statement imminent Worcester Warriors return to play statement imminent
Search