Are the Springboks being left behind by the top European teams and the All Blacks? The South African rugby supporters got used to the Springboks not dominating up front and often being bullied onfield, with the Springboks' management surprisingly refusing to move away from their current gameplan which won them the World Cup in 2019, although the Northern Hemisphere teams' started to dominate with their "new" gameplan.
During the 2023 World Rugby u/20 Championship France, Ireland and to an extent England has shown the future of rugby. They demolished their opponents with their big dominating forwards supplying more than enough quality ball to their big backline players who scored almost at will. Surprisingly, especially the French players, all forwards and backs, showed skill and handling which we normally associate with our backline players.
Following a brilliant first 20 minutes against the Springboks, All Blacks coach Ian Foster referred to "finding the balance" and said that they showed during the first 20 minutes against the Springboks that they are "getting there".
"We've always been a team that wants to play, but you've got to get your big rocks right. We've set ourselves some clear objectives about some of the big rocks in our game we want to get right, and we're getting them right at the moment."
"It's taken us a while the last couple of years to adjust to the physicality, particularly of the forward play, that's come from the north and having the variety of opposition to test you in the different way teams play."
"We've gathered a lot of information. Some of it has been painful, but we're learning. Now we're starting to see a non-negotiable level through our set piece, through the physical side of the game, and that's enabling us to win some collisions, which enables you to play on top of people.
"In some ways, it's a simple game.
"We want to be a triple-threat team. It's not about going in with a plan to do it – it's looking for it and, if it's on, to pull the trigger.
"We're trying to kick for space. It worked well. A couple of the kicks weren't as good as they needed to be, one went five metres backwards, but the decision was outstanding, and it still created the opportunities we were looking for."
"This year we felt this group needed to get together and get energy. The only way to do that is to go out with a goal of trying to win. Winning this Championship is important to us because it's the first step of the year but it also meant we've had an edge to our preparation. We haven't had an excuse to say 'it doesn't really matter' and that's been positive for us."
"We've got a lot of growth still to do, and we are learning, 'let's just nail each week and not think too much about anything else. That's been a good formula.
"The World Cup is a series of one-off games, and in some ways, this win is not relevant. But where it is relevant is the confidence you get out of building the blocks in your game, and we'll take that."
