After a humbling defeat against the Wallabies, South Africa must rediscover their fight to take on the All Blacks, France, and Ireland away from home.
Springbok fans, it has been a challenging week for us all. Just a week ago, we felt unstoppable—already looking past the Wallabies and straight toward Eden Park, the All Blacks’ formidable stronghold. Their fortress, seemingly impregnable, reminds one of The Eyrie from Game of Thrones: countless teams have tried to storm the walls, only to falter. Yet, like Arya Stark dispatching the Freys, we found ourselves humbled in our own halls. We underestimated an old rival, one with a knack for defeating the mighty Boks just when they seem unbeatable.
All hope is not lost, yet. This Saturday’s clash will feel like a World Cup final. To approach Eden Park with pride and confidence, we will need a big victory. The stakes are high. Should the Wallabies achieve back-to-back wins—a feat they last accomplished in 2021—the Boks could face the possibility of only seven or eight victories from a potential 14 matches, including the Barbarians game.
Argentina will test us, but even a single home win against them, combined with victories over Italy and Wales, could keep our record on track. The road ahead, however, is daunting: two games against the All Blacks, plus matches against France and Ireland, leave little margin for error. A final tally of seven or eight wins out of 14 would translate to a 50–57% success rate. For a team hailed by many as one of the greatest ever assembled in South African rugby history, is that enough? In my mind, the greatest team ever assembled was the All Blacks of 2009–2018—they would not have settled for such a percentage.
Perhaps this setback was necessary—a reminder that the world of rugby is evolving. Playing in the Highveld no longer guarantees dominance, a lesson the Bulls learned last year and the Springboks have now embraced. Humility and groundedness are essential for players and fans alike.
With that said, all hope is far from lost. The Springboks have always been fighters. The challenge now is to rediscover that fight—not just against the Wallabies, but against the All Blacks, France, and Ireland, away from home.
Starters:
15. Willie Le Roux
14. Canan Moodie
13. Jesse Kriel (C)
12. Damian de Allende
11. Cheslin Kolbe
10. Handré Pollard
9. Grant Williams
8. Jean-Luc du Preez
7. Franco Mostert
6. Marco van Staden
5. Ruan Nortje
4. RG Snyman
3. Thomas du Toit
2. Malcolm Marx
1. Ox Nche
Subs:
16. Marnus van der Merwe
17. Boan Venter
18. Wilco Louw
19. Eben Etzebeth
20. Lood de Jager
21. Kwagga Smith
22. Cobus Reinach
23. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu