South Africa's Springboks solidified their position as the world's top rugby team in 2024, following their 2023 Rugby World Cup victory. Coach Jacques Nienaber continues to build a formidable squad, focusing on depth and a more dynamic attacking style.
South Africa 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 Springboks ' mad genius - coach Jacques Nienaber - 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 57 tries and conceded just 23 - third highest number of tries scored by the Boks in a season since 1992. Erasmus used 35 players during the recently completed Rugby Championship and 50 in total in the 13 Tests the Boks played in 2024., 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., especially with the news laws that have been propose
Springboks Rugby World Cup Jacques Nienaber Depth Threepeat South Africa
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Springbok stars dominate world’s Top 100 Men’s Rugby Players 2024 listDiscover the world of IOL, bringing you a mix of current news across politics, sport, business, motoring and lifestyle. Telling your stories and driving change!
Read more »
Bok babies: Springboks who welcomed babies in 2024Faf de Klerk, Handre Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit and more Springboks welcomed babies in 2024. Take a look...
Read more »
Three low points for the Springboks in 2024It was a year of great success for the Springboks, but there were some areas where they did miss the mark. We take a closer look.
Read more »
Springboks by the numbers in 2024: Trophies, stats, new capsCheck out this full list of trophies and records attained by the Springboks during a memorable 2024 season.
Read more »
2024 ... The mighty Springboks' year in numbersIOL Sport's John Goliath breaks down some of the significant numbers that made the Springboks great in 2024.
Read more »
The Springboks' 5 best tries of 2024: From Cheslin Kolbe's perseverance to lineout tricksIOL Sport's John Goliath picks five of his personal favourite tries during a year when the Springboks only lost two out of their 13 Test matches.
Read more »