Give the Springboks a few days to revel in their record-breaking Rugby World Cup success and losing finalist New Zealand a little time to grieve. But both those two giants and rugby as a whole will soon emerge from seven weeks of Rugby World Cup fever and face the prospect of entirely new eras.
A girl lifts the trophy next to South Africa’s Mbongeni Mbonambi after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won 12-11. South Africa players celebrate at the end of the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
Make no mistake, they didn’t inherit what they’ve left, a top-ranked, world-beating team. They created it from ruins. When they were hired in 2018, the Springboks were quite simply at their worst and had twice been embarrassed by 50 points by the All Blacks among a trail of historic losses in the pre-Rasnaber years.
Rugby’s most celebrated team won’t start from square one, but with Whitelock, Retallick, Smith and hooker Dane Coles officially retiring and pivotal figures like, No. 8 Ardie Savea and two-time world player of the year Beauden Barrett the wrong side of 30 for another World Cup, there is no straightforward path to redemption in 2027.
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