VIDEO: Why Boks are a step ahead of everyone else
Yesterday at 09:10 AM
SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks will be stepping up their development of players in key positions as they begin preparations for their second Test season in the four-year cycle leading up to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
In 2024, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus used 50 players over 13 Test matches and they won 11 of them.
With Erasmus selecting 82 players for the first alignment camps (in-person and online) of the year, it is clear that he will be following the same route this season.
The Springboks also have several ageing World Cup winners in their squad and there will be a spotlight on their performances as well.
In the latest episode of Boks Office, a few big names shared their experiences when it came to squad planning during World Cup cycles.
"It is going to be an interesting year because we are two years out before a World Cup," said former Bok flank Schalk Burger.
"That ageing player group that we've got has been so good for us, but it's going to be a hard year for them.
"I always find that the middle year in a World Cup cycle is the toughest one because calls have to be made."
Burger added: "You want to go into a World Cup not carrying someone who has played just five or six Test matches.
"But if he gets to a World Cup and he has played two full seasons - maybe 15 Test matches - he is a different development [player] to what he will be if he was playing his first four or five [games].
"It's a big call because those two Test matches in New Zealand [September 6 and September 13] are going to be amazing."
Fellow Springbok legend Jean de Villiers added: "I don't think we are going to see a lot of our top players or the older guys in June and July [against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia]."
Meanwhile, Boks Office host and former Bok hooker Hanyani Shimange believes the Boks are already winning the race in terms of planning for the next World Cup.
"I suppose it is a balance between age and performance," said Shimange.
"If you think about it, from now until the World Cup it is probably about 30 games, maybe a little bit more. If you get your first cap now, you might get 30 by the time [the World Cup starts].
"Last year we capped a lot of guys, so we are already a step ahead of everyone else running into the World Cup.
"The least-capped guys will probably have 20 to 25 caps by the time we get to that tournament because of what we did last year."
* This entire episode and much more are on RugbyPass TV. All you need to do is sign up for a free account on RugbyPass TV.
