Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

'For the rest of the world, it's an ominous sign': Bok greats issue warning

South Africa's Eben Etzebeth holds the Nelson Mandela Plate with his players after their victory during the Rugby Championship Test match between Australia and South Africa at Optus Stadium in Perth on August 17, 2024. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP)

Round two of the Rugby Championship proved to the rugby world that South Africa have an unparalleled level of squad depth, if anyone was not already aware.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Springboks side so heavily rotated that there had been accusations of disrespect managed to pull off a 30-12 bonus-point win over Australia in Perth, to leave them at the summit of the competition table. For a side that had widely been described as a โ€˜B teamโ€™ or โ€˜second stringโ€™, that was some statement and one that South Africa legend Schalk Burger said is an โ€œominous signโ€ to the rest of the world.

Many, if not all, of South Africaโ€™s available frontline players will be rolled out for rounds three and four of the Championship with back-to-back fixtures against the All Blacks looming after a weekโ€™s break.

Video Spacer

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus looks forward to facing the All Blacks

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:54
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:54
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus looks forward to facing the All Blacks

    Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus previews the two-Test Rugby Championship series against the All Blacks

    Scott Robertsonโ€™s side travel to South Africa for the two fixtures at a time where Burgerโ€™s former Bok teammate and fellow World Cup winner Jean de Villiers says South African rugby is in the โ€œbest shapeโ€ it has ever been in.

    The pair discussed the position the world champions find themselves in at the moment on the latest episode of RugbyPass TVโ€™s The Boks Office, and what that means for the rest of the world.

    Fixture
    Rugby Championship
    South Africa
    31 - 27
    Full-time
    New Zealand
    All Stats and Data

    โ€œComplacency is certainly something that you will not see with this squad at the moment,โ€ de Villiers said.

    โ€œBecause a little bit of complacency โ€“ you get selected, you donโ€™t perform โ€“ you will be replaced. And you will be replaced by someone that is probably just as good as you.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    โ€œThereโ€™s so little to differentiate most positions in terms of the players we have there and the depth that we have there. I think itโ€™s the best shape South African rugby has ever been in.โ€

    Burger added: โ€œYou look at the players that played tight five. And you canโ€™t say they were third choice because that never happened- they were first choice on the weekend. But if you look at the players you can pick ahead of them, when they are all fit, a lot of these players will probably be third in the list for playing for the Boks. I think for the rest of the world, thatโ€™s an ominous sign.โ€

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    LIVE

    Vancouver SVNS | Day 3

    Boks Office | Episode 35 | Six Nations Round 2 Review

    O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

    Second round of the Men's Six Nations | Whistle Watch

    Harlequins vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Saitama Wildknights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

    The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

    Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    35 Comments
    B
    BP 186 days ago

    I love how everyone keeps having a ago at SA/SA players/SA Ex players and fans.... clearly we the worst country in the world with the worst people, but still they can't beat us.... should stop moaning and concentrate on their own teams and fans......we will see what happens come 2027.....

    N
    NE 186 days ago

    Neutral, unbiased officiating over the past 3 decades would see SA lucky to be a tier 1 rugby union nation. Fact. Sadly SA's world renowned army of rugby dunce supporters are just rmtoo ignorant to grasp reality.

    C
    CO 186 days ago

    Test, test and test again. Out of competition testing needs to be rigorous for the Boks. Huge red flags with Bok rugby and the recent band aid banning of a few Boks. A full enquiry needs to be started.

    B
    Bull Shark 186 days ago

    Please go ahead and start it.

    T
    Turlough 186 days ago

    Just a Q to Bok supporters. Is the team that played against Australia 2nd test, likely to be the rump of the team that will start the RWC in 2027? IOW were we looking at the Boks 2027 team there?


    If that's the case then Erasmus approach is very interesting:

    1st team is RWC 2023 with a sprinking of RWC 2027.

    2nd team is RWC 2027 with a sprinking of RWC 2023.

    Gradually more and more 2nd team (RWC 2027 players) are in the first team and new players enter the 2nd team.

    Beating NZ twice is important for this project as it means that Erasmus can play the NC 2026/RWC 2027 team for one or both matches versus Argentina depending on the Argentina/Aussie results.


    In the Nations cup for example SA will play 3, 6N teams down douth and 3 in Europe.

    Depending on the opposition Erasmus may view it necessary to rotate the squad in some matches as the means to gain overall success.

    D
    DC000 186 days ago

    Burger continues to spew an inordinate amount of ignorant shite. Even for a Saffa.


    The thing you have to do to stay relevant to a nation of massive thickos, right?


    It's sad anyone thinks he has something useful to add to the conversation.


    Perhaps he should opine how very few Saffas actually attend matches - with stadiums at Currie Cup and URC matches barely 20โ€ฐfilled (if that on a great day) - but still manage to talk a massive amount of laughable shite. At least that might be entertaining, if not informative.

    G
    GrahamVF 185 days ago

    Why to you bother Dumb C@%T tripple zero bigot. You probably live in a council house with parents and grandparents - never played rugby and put down those who you perceive as socio economically inferior and zone in on SA because you have absolutely no experience outside your dingy street and view South Africa through what you read on this forum. I can assure you I live a lifestyle and enjoy medical treatment and education that you could only dream of. PS look up some very interesting researched articles on how dumb and ill informed bigots really are. You fit the bill perfectly. So we will forgive you for your obvious lack of intellect, education and class.

    A
    AS 186 days ago

    URC stadiums pretty full especially Cape Town Stadium. Internationals sold out, yes CC has few spectators, it's no longer seen as a first class competition, which is sad, but we get more bums in seats than any team down under, even the Bulls and Lions do. SR is not that well watched.

    F
    Forward pass 186 days ago

    Haha BOK proclaims self greatness and importance....... Shock horror.

    G
    GrahamVF 185 days ago

    Really meaningful comment. Can't wait for the next announcement. Talk about self importance and arrogance.

    T
    Toaster 187 days ago

    The Boks are an amazing team but their fans, ex players and media are becoming rather install about their status currently


    I mean Ireland just beat them

    France combusted at the World Cup but look the most dangerous of anyone and really should have won the World Cup just IMO

    By far the most talented side and put away the ABs with ease frustratingly


    Who knows about the ABs and England but they are rebuilding big time

    T
    Turlough 186 days ago

    The few months before the SA-Ireland series were dominated by outraged claims of Irish arrogance after Warburton and Davies (both Welsh) suggested Ireland might be the current no 1 after beating France by 21 points away. Now Erasmus is a master at galvanizing his troops with a common sense of injustice in 15 brains driving them on before and during matches. I understand that although I'd contest he galvanized Ireland more than SA in that series.

    This stuff now could be undermining though. I see Erasmus has reigned the trash talk in a little after the Ireland series but SA are setting themselves up as a target to be knocked down. Altitude complicates things in the first test, but Ireland showed plenty that NZ can use. Underdog status will suit NZ also, big time.

    S
    SF 186 days ago

    Correct. I'm a Saffa and a few moments ago I made a comment to someone about us South Africans who can get bigheaded very quickly. Yes the Boks is a good team. For now. Rassie has a huge task on his hands to keep the players grounded and humble.

    Like Jake mentioned in his comment on Rugby pass, team dynamics is a fragile thing. With Siya and Eben suddenly becoming celebrities with the MMA fight the other night, comes ego.

    Burger and JDV were out of line with their comments. Stay grounded boys...

    D
    DA 186 days ago

    for a long time the Bok supporters have been ridiculed by arrogant rude people mocking the Boks. Do you get it?????

    L
    Lou Cifer 187 days ago

    If I have to hear one more time of how Ireland or France should've won the RWC in 2023๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ


    France have immense depth too, but "by far the most talented side" is very subjective

    T
    Turlough 187 days ago

    SA are not the only ones building incredible depth:


    French squad that beat Argenina 13-28 in Mendoza recently.


    FB 15 Lรฉo Barrรฉ

    RW 14 Thรฉo Attissogbรฉ

    OC 13 ร‰milien Gailleton

    IC 12 Antoine Frisch

    LW 11 Lester Etien

    FH 10 Antoine Hastoy

    SH 9 Baptiste Serin (c)

    N8 8 Jordan Joseph

    OF 7 Oscar Jegou

    BF 6 Lenni Nouchi

    RL 5 Baptiste Pesenti

    LL 4 Hugo Auradou

    TP 3 Georges-Henri Colombe

    HK 2 Gaรซtan Barlot

    LP 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros

    Replacements:

    HK 16 Teddy Baubigny

    PR 17 Sรฉbastien Taofifรฉnua

    PR 18 Demba Bamba

    LK 19 Posolo Tuilagi

    FL 20 Mickaรซl Guillard

    FL 21 Ibrahim Diallo

    SH 22 Baptiste Couilloud

    FB 23 Melvyn Jaminet

    F
    Forward pass 186 days ago

    What was the French side that lost to Argentina recently? Another French master team?

    S
    SK 187 days ago

    Springboks do have alot of depth when you consider their injury list prior to the Rugby Championship. Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie, Jean Kleyn, Steven Kitshoff, RG Snyman, Lood De Jager, Franco Mostert, Faf De Klerk, Andre Esterhuizen, Jaden Hendrickse, Herschel Jantjies and Jasper Wiese are all world cup winners and they did not play a game in Australia.

    B
    Bull Shark 186 days ago

    And that injury list can also be thought of as a rest and recovery list. There is a lot of value in being able to rest players for prolonged periods without the team suffering.


    There was a lot of noise about Evan Roos getting sidelined. But Iโ€™m pretty sure there was an open discussion that said - go get surgery, get the issue sorted. Weโ€™ll bring you in for the NH tour. We want to sue this time to give others a chance. Louw. Smith even.


    Same story for Damian Willemse. Get the op. We want to see what SFM and Fassi can do.


    Kitschoff coming off a sh1t spell from europe. Moving back home. He must be raring to go. Fresh as a juicy plum ready for the market. Maybe Koch gets a break?

    B
    Bull Shark 186 days ago

    Right now there is probably, on average, three players per position in the Bok fold.


    There are definite 1st stringers and 2nd stringers, and in some positions that might switch up fairly regularly. Like at 9 and 10 at the moment. Iโ€™m not sure who Rassie views as 1st choice 10. Based on form.


    But then thereโ€™s the option for the game at hand. So for example, Pollard or Manie will start against the ABs. My gut tells me pollard is the safe bet but Manie might be sh1t hot in form in training. Thats the benefit of our depth currently - which de Villiers is highlighting.


    Kirwan said the same thing - that SA are where the AbS were, with 33 odd players who could slot in and it didnโ€™t matter who you picked.

    Load More Comments

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    R
    RegineIsaksen 1 hour ago
    Reds name 10 Wallabies in starting side for teamโ€™s season-opener

    Sometimes life gives you signs-you just got to be paying attention. One night, deep in an Uber ride, I struck up a conversation with the driver. The topic of Bitcoin came up, and he mentioned that he once lost his wallet containing $50,000.

    I thought this would be the end of the story-something like regret, lessons learned, and moving on. But then he said something that stuck with me: "Thankfully, I found Lee Ultimate Hacker. They got everything back." I nodded, really interested but unconcerned. After all, I was so very careful with my wallet security. I thought, That's rough, but it could never happen to me. A week later, it happened to me. I lost the wallet holding $300,000 while overhauling my crypto storage system. In one wrong move, my funds became completely unreachable. I retraced passwords, checked backups, tried everything that normally works, but nothing worked. Panic kicked in. My mind was racing, trying to figure out my next move. And then, I remembered the Uber driver's story.

    I didn't waste a moment and contacted Lee Ultimate Hacker. Right upon connecting to their team, I could feel my nerves calm down. They did not right away get to work but also asked questions, analyzed my situation, and explained how the recovery would go. It was next-level professionalism; they didn't just work on how to return my money but also how to make me understand what happened and how I could avoid it in the future. Finally, after what felt like the longest wait of my life, came the message that I had been waiting for: My wallet was recovered successfully.

    Relief doesn't even begin to describe my feeling at that moment. That $300,000 wasn't just money; it was years of careful investments and strategic planning. And in an instant, it was all back where it belonged. In retrospect, I owe more than a five-star rating to that Uber driver. His story gave me a lifeline which I didn't know I needed. Lesson learned: Pay attention to those random conversations-you never know when they might save you a fortune.

    LEEULTIMATEHACKER @ AOL . COM

    telegram: LEEULTIMATE

    wh@tsapp +1 (715) 314 - 9248

    1 Go to comments
    S
    SusanLiebman 1 hour ago
    England explain their backing for Marcus Smith to stay on the kicks

    Iโ€™ve always been careful with my cryptocurrency, but even the most cautious investors can fall victim to cyber threats. My nightmare began when a ransomware attack locked me out of my $500,000 Bitcoin wallet. The hackers demanded payment in exchange for access, but I refused to negotiate with criminals. Desperate and running out of options, I started researching legitimate crypto recovery services, something I never thought Iโ€™d need.During my search, I came across an article about crypto recovery services that highlighted Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery as an industry leader. While I was skeptical at first, I was also desperate. Every hour that passed felt like my funds were slipping further away. Finally, I decided to take a chance and reached out to their team.From the very first call, I knew I was dealing with professionals. The team at Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery listened patiently to my situation and reassured me that I wasnโ€™t alone,ransomware attacks were becoming increasingly common, and they had successfully helped many people recover their stolen crypto. Their confidence gave me hope.Once I provided the necessary details about my wallet and the attack, their forensic specialists got to work. Unlike the hackers, who demanded money without guarantees, Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery provided clear expectations, a transparent process, and constant updates. Their team used advanced blockchain analysis tools to trace the compromised transactions and locate vulnerabilities that could be exploited to regain access.The waiting period was nerve-wracking, but they delivered on every promise. Within a matter of days, I received the news I had been praying forโ€”my $500,000 had been fully restored. I could barely believe it. My funds were back, and the hackers had failed.Beyond the recovery itself, Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery also educated me on preventing future attacks. They advised me on strengthening my wallet security, using cold storage, and recognizing suspicious links or downloads that could contain malware. Their insight and expertise ensured that I wouldnโ€™t be caught off guard again.What started as a moment of complete despair ended with an incredible victoryโ€”all thanks to Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think your crypto is gone for good, donโ€™t lose hope. They are the real deal, and they proved that even after a ransomware attack, your assets can still be saved.

    Email: prowizardgilbertrecovery(@)engineer.com

    Telegram: https://t.me/Pro_Wizard_Gilbert_Recovery

    WhatsApp: +1 (920) 408โ€‘1234

    0 Go to comments
    S
    SusanLiebman 3 hours ago
    Leon MacDonald lands first Super Rugby job since All Blacks exit

    Iโ€™ve always been careful with my cryptocurrency, but even the most cautious investors can fall victim to cyber threats. My nightmare began when a ransomware attack locked me out of my $500,000 Bitcoin wallet. The hackers demanded payment in exchange for access, but I refused to negotiate with criminals. Desperate and running out of options, I started researching legitimate crypto recovery services, something I never thought Iโ€™d need.During my search, I came across an article about crypto recovery services that highlighted Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery as an industry leader. While I was skeptical at first, I was also desperate. Every hour that passed felt like my funds were slipping further away. Finally, I decided to take a chance and reached out to their team.From the very first call, I knew I was dealing with professionals. The team at Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery listened patiently to my situation and reassured me that I wasnโ€™t alone,ransomware attacks were becoming increasingly common, and they had successfully helped many people recover their stolen crypto. Their confidence gave me hope.Once I provided the necessary details about my wallet and the attack, their forensic specialists got to work. Unlike the hackers, who demanded money without guarantees, Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery provided clear expectations, a transparent process, and constant updates. Their team used advanced blockchain analysis tools to trace the compromised transactions and locate vulnerabilities that could be exploited to regain access.The waiting period was nerve-wracking, but they delivered on every promise. Within a matter of days, I received the news I had been praying forโ€”my $500,000 had been fully restored. I could barely believe it. My funds were back, and the hackers had failed.Beyond the recovery itself, Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery also educated me on preventing future attacks. They advised me on strengthening my wallet security, using cold storage, and recognizing suspicious links or downloads that could contain malware. Their insight and expertise ensured that I wouldnโ€™t be caught off guard again.What started as a moment of complete despair ended with an incredible victoryโ€”all thanks to Pro Wizard Gilbert Recovery. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think your crypto is gone for good, donโ€™t lose hope. They are the real deal, and they proved that even after a ransomware attack, your assets can still be saved.

    Email: prowizardgilbertrecovery(@)engineer.com

    Telegram: https://t.me/Pro_Wizard_Gilbert_Recovery

    WhatsApp: +1 (920) 408โ€‘1234

    6 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ Where is the new breed of All Black 10? Where is the new breed of All Black 10?
    Search