Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry believes the Springboks have set the global standard and that New Zealand’s mindset is holding them back.
Speaking on the DSPN podcast, Henry praised the Bok coaching set-up under Rassie Erasmus, highlighting their depth and smart player management as key reasons for their dominance.
“You’ve got a very good coaching team,” Henry said. “[Attack coach] Tony Brown is probably one of the most innovative coaches in the world.
“He [Erasmus] has got rotation, and in 2024 I think he played 69 players and we played 38. What he’s doing is developing a lot of competition for places, what he’s doing also is making young guys feel good because they’re getting the opportunity.
“He’s developing a lot of depth, a lot of competition for places and that grows rugby players.”
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Henry believes Erasmus has struck the right balance between rotation and performance.
“If you play the same guys all the time, they probably get a wee bit complacent as they’re always going to get picked, but also they can’t keep up that level. It’s far too much rugby; they need rest and rotation.
“He’s played that beautifully. He’s got a lot of players that are paid by overseas countries to play for South Africa and he’s developing them.
“They are the best in the world by a considerable margin right now.”
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When Devlin suggested that Erasmus was giving caps out “willy-nilly”, Henry strongly disagreed.
“I think that’s an arrogant statement. That’s our problem in this country, we’re arrogant about our position in the rugby world,” he said. “We need to change. If we don’t change, we will not get better.
“It’s not the All Blacks who have got arrogant, it’s the people who administer the game. We just expect to win. We’re not going to win unless we have the right criteria.”
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
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