Josh Kronfeld says SA teams competing in the Vodacom URC has created a competitive gap between the world champion Springboks and New Zealand and Australia.
Quoted by IOL Sport, Kronfeld highlighted how crucial South Africa’s Super Rugby presence was in keeping the All Blacks sharp at the international level.
“It’s more the fact that in the past we’ve always had competitions building into the All Blacks season as the pinnacle of international club rugby,” the former All Blacks flanker said.
“With the South Africans moving to the [URC] setup, it’s a massive divide.”
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Kronfeld reflected on how the shift has affected New Zealand’s competitive edge. “A massive ingredient has been taken away from us. That’s played a significant role,” he noted.
He explained that while growth is more attainable for emerging nations, established teams like the All Blacks and Wallabies face increasingly limited gains.
The 54-Test loose forward also lauded South Africa’s innovative Bomb Squad strategy, saying, “I think we’ve [All Blacks] always managed to find that new little 10% edge and I think it’s getting more and more difficult each season.
“Each World Cup cycle we see growth, and the most significant growth this time was the Bomb Squad. I’ve never seen it before, and it’s worked incredibly well.”
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
