Jake White says a changing of the World Cup-winning guard will put Rassie Erasmus’ man-management skills through an “extreme” test as the Springboks target a three-peat in Australia in 2027.
The Springboks are just about halfway through their 2024 season, but Erasmus has already started to set the wheel in motion for a changing of the guard that won back-to-back World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023.
SQUAD: Boks recall fit-again World Cup-winning trio
11 players have made their Test debuts for South Africa across the six matches played this year. Jordan Hendrikse, Edwill van der Merwe, Ben-Jason Dixon and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu got their first runs in the green and gold in the season opener against Wales at Twickenham. Phepsi Buthelezi, Johan Grobbelaar, Quan Horn, Morne van den Berg, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ruan Venter and Jan-Hendrik Wessels debuted for a heavily changed Bok team against Portugal in July.
Of those 11, Dixon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Grobbelaar, Van den Berg and Wessels have featured for the Boks in the Rugby Championship openers against the Wallabies in Australia.
Writing in a column for RugbyPass, former Bok coach White said Erasmus will be tested with how he manages the transition between the young up-and-comers and veterans in his squad.
“One characteristic current Springboks say they like about Rassie’s coaching style is his honesty, but the changing of the guard will test him and his man-management skills to the extreme,” White said. “No player is undroppable but it will cause tensions. Yes, the players will talk the talk in public about backing the team. It’s easy to say when you’re still getting selected, but when you’re sitting on the pine, or outside the squad looking in, frustrations are inevitable.
“Can they handle it? They’ve given their all on the pitch and they’ve passed with flying colours but as a sportsman, the real challenge is when the spotlight and adulation goes elsewhere. It’s the biggest test of any cohesive unit. I know Pollard will say he doesn’t mind playing at No 12 to accommodate Sacha at No 10, but that’s what he’s supposed to say in public. The true legacy of this special group will be how they function behind closed doors when they’re no longer needed.
“Put simply, there is no way every World Cup winner can go another four years with that age profile. Look at the New Zealand side that broke up after 2015 and the Wales side that were Grand Slam winners and the No 1 ranked side in 2019. Both had ageing sides who struggled when their legends retired en masse, with Wales even falling outside the top 10 in the rankings. The Springboks will be keen to administer a seamless transition.”
Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images
The post Jake: Bok transition an ‘extreme test’ for Rassie appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
