'A Story Of Hope From Rugby's Rainbow Nation'

Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi guided South Africa to an inspirational third world title. Rugby World breaks down their triumph and looks at what’s next for England

- Sarah Mockford

Six hundred and eighteen days, 58 players, one lucky shirt. That’s what it took for Rassie Erasmus to transform a South Africa side that had been humbled 57-0 by New Zealand into winners of rugby’s greatest prize. He arrived in late 2017 as director of rugby but by March 2018 was head coach – and quickly made his mark. He capped 13 players in his first Test, a 22-20 loss to Wales, and appointed Siya Kolisi as South Africa’s first black captain for the England series that followed.

The peaks and troughs leading up to the World Cup meant several new shirts as Erasmus changes clothing after every loss. He smiles: “This year I had to change only once! This is my lucky shirt.”

Shirt apart, how did he take the Springboks from such inconsistency to a third world title, dismantling an England team in the final that had dismantled the All Blacks so spectacularly seven days previously? We look at the fundamental pillars of a triumph hailed as more significant for the nation of South Africa than the 1995 and 2007 world titles…

CHANGE IN MINDSET

Erasmus and Kolisi have both spoken of the change in focus over the past two years, the realization that hard graft is required to achieve success. It sounds simple, basic even, but it clearly made a difference.

“There was a stage in South Africa when being a professional rugby player was just about earning a good paycheque,” says Erasmus. “But players understand if they want to be a professional, they have to work really hard. That mediocrity is slowly going out of our rugby.”