Springboks Win 2019 Rugby World Cup
On Saturday, at the Yokohama Stadium in Tokyo, South Africa defeated no ranked rugby union side England to capture the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The Springboks, looking far better and meriting victory against a Red Roses team that was a shadow of the team that knocked out the All Blacks, defied the odds and secured the championship.
The sort of game where tactics, more than talent, mattered. Former Bokke coach Eddie Jones could not use his knowledge of SA rugby to hel p England to a victory. It should be mentioned though that Rassie Erasmus had selected a pretty green Springbok team to compete in Japan. But it seems that his decision won dividends.
South Africa vs England: RWC Final
For about 18 months, Rassie Erasmus, the rugby coach of the year, took the Springbok team from being a nonentity in world rugby to being at the very top, and he did it with style. Erasmus replaced Allister Coetzee, who had guided the Springboks to a stunning 37-15 defeat in the second test against New Zealand in 2017. In 2017, the authority of the Springboks was less than that of even the Italian rugby team, and barely above that of the Portuguese selecção that traditionally plays a watered-down version of rugby. With Coetzee, the Boks had taken a heavy beating. They had lost five out of the eleven matches that he had coached, and he had the lowest win percentage of any coach. With Erasmus as coach, the Boks beat better teams in important matches.
Wrap of Rugby World Cup Final
The final of the Rugby World Cup was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. The performance by the Springboks in the Webb Ellis Cup Final was nothing short of a defensive tour de force. This is a team that has not only a great deal of talent but also a great deal of experience—this being the second time most of the players have been involved in a World Cup Final. If Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks’ head coach, can keep this group together, it should not only be a major factor in the world rugby landscape over the next year or two but a strong contender to win another Webb Ellis Cup in four years’ time.
When it comes to omens, the next time the Springboks seem poised for an imminent World Cup victory might not be until 2035. We, however, will savor the present. This team, with its solid blend of young talent and seasoned veterans, seems capable of establishing a new era of dominance, much like New Zealand did over the last several years.