Ex-Springboks star’s warning to the rest of the world with next South African generation ‘the most talented I’ve seen in a long time’
South Africa U20s celebrate 2025 title and former Springboks centre Robbie Fleck.
Former Springboks centre Robbie Fleck has supreme confidence that their dominance over the rest of the world can continue after raving about the next crop of youngsters.
South Africa have won the last two Rugby World Cups and are looking to claim a historic three-peat when the next global tournament takes place in 2027.
They are well on course for that judging by the Boks’ form since the previous showpiece event with Rassie Erasmus‘ side top of the World Rugby rankings.
While Erasmus knows that he needs to ease out the older players and bring in the youngsters, they remain on track for next year’s tournament.
U20 title in 2025
The Springboks certainly don’t lack for options with an abundance of talent coming through and that was shown by the U20s winning their first world title since 2012 in 2025.
Some of those players will be back for this year’s competition but they will be joined by the next crop, who Fleck has been hugely impressed by.
The 31-times capped former international saw them up close when his University of Cape Town outfit took on the national age-grade team.
“That’s probably one of the most talented side I’ve seen in a long, long time. Obviously, they played some of their schoolboys from last year,” he said on the Boks Unpacked podcast.
“Outside backs were quick, athletic, communication skills on another level with 18-year-old boys talking to each other about the game and knowledgeable.
“And then a pack of forwards that can completely dominate on the international scene, a set of locks you have not seen before, both in lineout and physicality.
“Footey’s (Kevin Foote) done a great job there. I put my house on it that they will go back-to-back.”
That Junior Springboks team Fleck’s side faced wasn’t at full-strength, but Fleck was more impressed by the new players who have just come out of school.
“Cheswill Jooste wasn’t even there, he’s been professionally with the Bulls, and the fly-half from last year wasn’t,” he said.
“It was actually the schoolboys from last year – the full-back, the fly-half, both centres in Ethan Adams and Marcus Muller – who were incredible.
“Just their ability to move the ball around at speed, their physicality; we couldn’t even hold them in that regard. They dominated the breakdown, dominated the tackle and then their set-piece plays and pattern work from lineout was very smart.
“They’ve only been there for a short space of time, they’ve only been together for about two weeks. Granted, it wasn’t the strongest UCT side in the second half, but the way they went about things, they’re professional and they played for a bigger purpose.
“Footey’s done a phenomenal job… but just in terms of athletes, rugby skill and rugby IQ, it’s on another level. I certainly believe that they’re better than last year’s outfit.”
SA Rugby getting it right
South Africa has never lacked for playing numbers but Springboks legend Jean de Villiers believes that they are really starting to harness that talent.
“For so long we’ve had talent coming through out schools system since way back when but then there’s a bit of a gap,” De Villiers said.
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“I think the professionalism that we now see in the schools system, we are creating professional players at a far younger age.
“They talk about the game, they understand the game, they can read the game and they can communicate it.
“You take the talent which we’ve always had and then you take good coaching – that makes us pretty unstoppable.”