‘Full package’ Springboks on course for World Cup hat-trick as Wales legend hails ‘box-office’ Rassie Erasmus and sounds ‘scary’ warning to rivals
Dan Biggar backs Springboks for third straight Rugby World Cup.
South Africa are on course to become the first country to win three successive men’s Rugby World Cups, according to Dan Biggar.
The Springboks matched the back-to-back achievement of New Zealand, in 2011 and 2015, when adding to their 2019 triumph in Japan with a successful title defence in France two years ago.
Since then, Rassie Erasmus‘ world beaters have won the Rugby Championship and will retain that title should they beat Argentina in the tournament finale at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
Best Rugby Championship to date
This, for many, has been the best ever edition of the tournament, with Australia winning spectacularly at Ellis Park, Argentina beating New Zealand in South America for the first time and the All Blacks extending their unbeaten record at Eden Park to 52 Tests and 31 years.
The Springboks look likely to come out on top, and few would argue with that given their last two performances. In Wellington they handed New Zealand their biggest ever defeat before Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored a South African record 37 points as the Boks crushed the Pumas 67-30 in Durban.
The second halves of those two games the Boks won by an aggregate of 78-10 – 36-0 against the All Blacks, 42-10 versus Argentina.
At Kings Park, the performance of Feinberg-Mngomezulu included three sensational tries. All Black fans will want to keep Dan Carter’s virtuoso display against the 2005 British and Irish Lions on a pedestal all of its own but this was up there.
Erasmus’ men still, of course, have 80 minutes to navigate and the Lions, Wallabies and All Blacks – all beaten by Los Pumas this year – will testify as to how dangerous Felipe Contepomi’s side can be.
But the Green and Gold scored nine tries against the same opponents a week ago, are rated 11/1-ON to win again, and have the backing of Wales and Lions great Biggar to not only bag this trophy but go on to complete a World Cup hat-trick.
“The Springboks, at the minute, are the absolute benchmark,” says Biggar, now a TNT Sports pundit. “They can win games any which way. The squad depth Erasmus has developed is such I would not back against them winning three [World Cups] on the spin.”
Two years out, South Africa are favourites for the tournament in Australia, available at a best-priced 11/4.
“I look at their performance in Wellington the other week,” adds Biggar. “When you beat New Zealand 43-10, inflict the biggest defeat ever on the mighty All Blacks, you assume it was as near to perfect a performance as is possible to imagine.
“Do you know how many turnovers South Africa gave away in that game? 24. So the scary thing for me is this Springboks team can still be a lot better.
“That was a brilliant performance from the Springboks, yet they conceded 24 turnovers and seven penalties. So is that as good as they can be? I don’t think so.”
Erasmus has changed only one of the starting XV that tore Argentina apart seven days ago with six second-half tries. Loosehead prop Ox Nche returns from injury to the front-row. Grant Williams, Jesse Kriel and Bongi Mbonambi come onto the bench.
“This match is a Final for us,” says Erasmus and Biggar smiles. “He’s box office, isn’t he,” adds the Welshman, who pitted his wits against Erasmus’ Boks when starting all three Tests for the 2021 Lions.
Full package
“Look at the different ways they can win games. They can win by playing scintillating rugby or, if the game is tight with 15 minutes to go, by resorting to muscle. They look the full package, they really do.”
With Australia and New Zealand playing first, South Africa will know exactly what they need to do. The Boks have only ever played Argentina once in London, winning the Bronze medal match in the 2015 World Cup 24-13 at the Olympic Stadium.
This will be the third year running South Africa have played a Test match at Twickenham against opposition other than England. In 2023 they crushed New Zealand 35-7. Last summer it was Wales getting the treatment, beaten 41-13.
On each occasion South African supporters descended on Twickenham en masse, turning a corner of south west London green and gold. Expect Saturday to be no different.
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