Jean de Villiers says the Springboks have an “extremely difficult draw” for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The defending champions were grouped with Italy, Georgia and Romania – a pool many fans immediately labelled a free pass to the playoffs.
But De Villiers warned that the real danger only begins once the quarter-finals arrive.
“I disagree that it’s an easy draw, I think it’s a tough draw,” De Villiers told News24. “You don’t look at the pool, you look at your route to the final and being able to win the final. In saying that, I think it’s an extremely difficult draw.”
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The Springboks’ path beyond Pool B is where the tournament could turn brutal. With World Rugby’s new format reshuffle, De Villiers believes South Africa are now staring at a gauntlet loaded with title heavyweights.
“We are most probably playing New Zealand in the quarter-final, with France and Wales or the other side of the draw [all things being equal],” he said. “So, potentially, there are very good odds that we meet France in the semi-finals and probably England or Ireland in the final.”
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While Italy remain the Boks’ highest-ranked pool opponent at 10th, De Villiers stressed that knockout rugby, not pool comfort, is what defines a World Cup.
“Yes, the pool itself is an easy one … [but] then the route to the final is an extremely difficult one,” he said. “It’s more about getting your route to the final sort of figured out.”
Photo: Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
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