South Africa's flanker Siya Kolisi takes a selfie with supporters after South Africa won the Rugby Championship Test match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg FILE - Springbok captain Siya Kolisi enjoyed a stellar year with his teammates.
Image: Phill Magakoe / AFP
The Springboks finished 2024 as the undisputed rugby powerhouse on the planet, delivering the emphatic message that their Rugby World Cup win in 2023 was no fluke.
While the country was still basking in the glory of being world champions, the South Africa's mad genius - coach Rassie Erasmus - has already started to put in the building blocks to try and do an historic “threepeat” in Australia in 2027.
But, while putting in those building blocks, the Springboks' performances hardly dropped as they won 11 of their 13 Test matches in 2024. Their only defeats came at the hands of Ireland and Argentina, which turned out to be one-point affairs that the Boks could have won.
The team's veterans are still looking sharp, while the 12 debutants blooded in 2024 showcased just how strong the Springboks are are in terms of depth.
There was also a dynamic shift in gameplan, with the Springboks playing a lot more with the ball in hand. They scored scored 57 tries and conceded just 23 - third highest number of tries scored by the Boks in a season since 1992.
IOL Sport's John Goliath looks at three factors that contributed to the Springboks success in 2024.
Erasmus used 35 players during the recently completed Rugby Championship and 50 in total in the 13 Tests the Boks played in 2024.
Of those players, Erasmus has blooded a number of youngsters, while also backing a few players who had only played a handful of Tests over the last few years.
Players such as flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels and loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp have been given a chance to grow in the Bok jersey, while forgotten stars Aphelele Fassi and Elrigh Louw showed the Springboks well is far from dry.
The Springboks lost just two of the 13 Test they played this year, even though Erasmus has rotated the team throughout the Test season.
The depth that Erasmus is building is scary, considering that many star players such as Damian Willemse, Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and possibly Frans Malherbe missed the traditional end-of-year-tour because of injury.
Erasmus is also trying to evolve the Boks’ gameplan, especially with the news laws that have been proposed.
After winning the previous two Rugby World Cup titles with a “skop, skiet and donner” approach, relying heavily on their physicality, defence and set-piece prowess, the Springboks have added New Zealander Tony Brown as the new attack coach to try and broaden their horizons.
While it’s still early days in the process, the signs are already there for all to see, while the Rugby Championship statistics also back up these claims.
The Springboks are carrying more, making more offloads, beating more defenders and making more line breaks.
The Springboks haven’t stood still on the attacking front after their World Cup triumph, and there is a feeling that the best is yet to come as they head towards another World Cup in three years’ time.
Three Springboks were nominated for the World Rugby Player of Year award, with Pieter-Steph du Toit eventually beating teammates Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth to the accolade. But there could have been many other Bok players considered for the award.
Centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel were magnificent in midfield, while looshead prop Ox Nche destroyed every tighthead he went up against this year.
Captain Siya Kolisi also enjoyed a great year after he as largely written off at the start of 2024 following a difficult stint in France with Racing 92. But he was arguably the Boks' player in the series against Ireland, while he also managed to make the move back to the Sharks in Durban later in the year.
Erasmus is working hard to get his veterans to the World Cup by managing their time on the park. By the time they get to Australia in 2027, they should have enough in the tank to have a proper go at the "threepeat".
The Springboks are in rude health. Bring on 2025!
@JohnGoliath82