Dan Biggar says the Springboks have dethroned the All Blacks as rugby’s “winning machine” and is backing the world champions for an unprecedented three-peat in 2027.
The rugby world’s eyes are set on Twickenham this Saturday for the England-New Zealand showdown, with the hosts looking to get one over the All Blacks after missing out in the July series.
For Wales’ former captain Biggar, the balance of power has shifted away from the All Blacks.
“South Africa has probably replaced the All Blacks as the main fixture,” Biggar told Planet Rugby. “It feels like that anyway.”
A veteran flyhalf with over a decade of international experience, Biggar believes that Siya Kolisi’s Springboks have redefined dominance in rugby.
“They clearly are the team that is way ahead at the moment,” he said, pointing to their recent success.
“Rugby Championship winners, back-to-back World Cup winners. If someone said to me place a fiver on the team to win the next World Cup, I’d be hard-pressed to put it on anyone other than the Springboks.”
The Boks will kick off their Outgoing Tour against Scotland on 10 November in Edinburgh, before tackling England at Twickenham and Wales in Cardiff.
While England and New Zealand dominate this week’s pre-match talk, Biggar can’t help but turn his focus to the two-time defending world champions.
“They’re a winning machine,” he said.
“It feels to me like the challenge in rugby now is South Africa in South Africa, not New Zealand in New Zealand.
“If the Springboks keep the core group of their squad together, they’re going to arrive at the next World Cup with the most experienced squad the tournament has ever seen.”
The Springboks’ evolution on the field, Biggar observes, has been startling.
“They have evolved this year and played far more rugby in the recent Rugby Championship than previously,” he said. “That’s a scary notion for everybody else that they’re trialling out a new style while still being able to win trophies.”
Biggar is also impressed with how South Africa has sustained its depth by building on its core players while integrating new talent, with Rassie Erasmus using 49 players so far this year.
“When you’ve got the core that they have, all you need is to develop three or four players at a time in the next 12-24 months, and their strength in depth is going to be huge,” he remarked.
“I think they’re in a brilliant position. I think they’re a brilliant team. Of course, it’s difficult to know how things will look in 2027, but right now it is hard to see past them for another World Cup.”
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
