The Springboks’ statement victory in Dublin should serve as a clear warning to the rest of the world: they are still improving.
This is according to The Telegraph’s senior rugby writer, Charlie Morgan, who described Saturday night’s 24-13 win over Ireland as a performance that “reinforced how tough it will be to stop them landing a third World Cup in succession in 2027”.
Looking at who might challenge the reigning world champions, he said “daylight is in second place at the moment”.
Morgan said the Boks’ blend of brutality, accuracy and expanding attacking ambition has taken their game to new heights.
“The current crop of Springboks are out on their own and breaking new ground.”
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Morgan highlighted South Africa’s opening try by fullback Damian Willemse as a prime example of their evolution under attack coach Tony Brown.
“The all-court team score married dynamism and skills and oozed class,” he said, praising Cheslin Kolbe’s incision, Pieter-Steph du Toit’s roaming support lines and the fluency of the Bok midfield.
He also pointed to star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu as a major part of this new threat.
“His speed is giving South Africa another dimension … his running game is devastating,” Morgan said, noting the youngster’s scything second half try.
If the attack is evolving, the set piece remains pure intimidation.
Morgan said forwards coach Daan Human has taken the scrum – hardly in a fragile place when he took over – to “another level”, calling the demolition of Ireland “merciless”.
He noted that even without Ox Nché and Frans Malherbe, the Boks “sent two looseheads to the sin bin and forced a penalty try with their second-string front row”.
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“If you scoured the globe for a scrum to match South Africa’s, you would not need to look further than their bench,” he wrote.
Morgan also emphasised the six-minute defensive stand at the end of the match.
“South Africa refused to relent … whenever Ireland spread the ball, they looked up to see one more Springbok,” he said. It reminded him of the 2019 World Cup final against England: “A statement – a strong one at that.”
Morgan concluded that the Boks’ terrifying combination of depth, power and innovation “should worry everyone with ambitions for 2027.”
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Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
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