For decades South African teams measured themselves against their Super Rugby opponents and in turn the Springboks measured themselves against the All Blacks. But the rise of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship has created a shift north in both focus and rivalry as Irish clubs and Ireland have become the new target.
“South Africa is always going to have a rivalry with anyone they see as a threat, and Ireland are a big threat,” said Smit. “The Irish have been so good for so long. I look back to our day, I was always up against Brian O’Driscoll as the opposition captain and our track record against Ireland wasn’t too good. Ireland have been really good at beating us for a very long time. The Vodacom United Rugby Championship has fuelled that existing fire from an international point of view because you’ve got Leinster and Munster who’ve been phenomenal, and then Ulster and Connacht who are very difficult to beat away from home.
“The rise of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship has been phenomenal. I think we’re better placed in this scenario because we are having to play different types of rugby and we’re having to adapt, evolve and innovate a lot more than we did in Super Rugby.
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