PRIMED TO WIN AGAIN

Winning back-to-back rugby world cups is a tall order but in this extract from his new book, former coach Nick Mallett explains why there's a good chance the Springboks will triumph in France and make history by lifting the Webb Ellis trophy for the fourth time

WHENEVER the Springboks play at a rugby world cup, they have a massive target on their backs because of who they are. This time, that target will be even more visible given their status as defending champions.

The Boks have never won back-to-back Webb Ellis Cups, and no team has won the tournament four times. That is the history at stake for the South Africans in France this year, and again they will take on the challenge under the leadership of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber.

The two men took over Springbok rugby in 2018 when the team were at their lowest ebb after two difficult years under Allister Coetzee. Jacques has confirmed that the 2023 world cup will be his final chapter with the Springboks, and he is off to Irish club Leinster from next year. However, his contribution with Rassie to Bok rugby has been immense.

In 2019, the Springboks arrived at the world cup in Japan very much under the radar. Their four-year cycle had been severely disrupted by Coetzee’s sacking, which left Rassie and Jacques with just 18 months to prepare for the tournament.

Results had been poor during that period, and even though the Boks had shown some good form heading into the world cup, a tournament-opening 23-13 loss to New Zealand in Yokohama suggested they were not ready to challenge for the title.

Internally, though, Rassie had the team very well-prepared and they had a clear, simplified game plan in their minds. They were going to play a power game with an emphasis on scrum penalties, maul penalties and territorial dominance through kicking.