Kieran Read: Why the Springboks could ‘struggle’ in the Nations Championship

All Blacks legend Kieran Read believes the Springboks’ willingness to rotate could open the door for the northern hemisphere nations, just like it did for the Wallabies.

Back-to-back world champions South Africa are currently in Italy for their game with the Azzurri this weekend before they face France and Ireland in their final two Nations Championship group matches.

While the countries are technically competing to win the competition, Erasmus has admitted that squad development is much more important as they look towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Springboks youngsters selected

He has named four rising stars in his wider 37-man training group who have yet to reach 21 years of age with the Boks therefore looking to build depth. Despite Erasmus’ almost dismissive view of the Nations Championship, Read started off by claiming it has generally been viewed positively down south.

“It actually created something for us down here in that July series for those teams that came here, France, Italy and Ireland,” he said on the GBRANZ podcast, which included regulars Justin Marshall and Jeremy Paul, as well as England great Mike Tindall.

“It actually put something on the games whereas normally if France sends a C team or whatever they do, or you play Italy and there’s nothing on it, you lose a little bit of that something on the game for the fans.

“It did create a little bit more to talk about. Generally down here in the southern hemisphere it was something a bit better, rather than three Tests against one team where generally the All Blacks are going to win those games.”

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World Cup winner Tindall then chimed in: “The irony is then you went and played four Tests against the same team,” referring of course to the Springboks’ decision to make minimal changes during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

“You look at those two teams and you look at those Tests, when you have got the two best teams and there is something on it, it genuinely felt to me that it was a step above what everyone else is playing in the world right now,” the ex-All Blacks captain responded

“It probably showed that South Africa are the best team in the world by quite a way when they put out their best side.”

They are likely to take a different path this month, however, and Read reckons the Springboks are willing to potentially sacrifice results if it means improving their depth.

South Africa’s ‘France mentality’

“I still think they might struggle a bit up north because they have got the mentality of France when they might rest a few guys and give a team like the Wallabies a chance to get a victory over them and make them feel good,” he quipped.

“The concept of it (the Nations Championship) is good for the game; to put some jeopardy into a one-off game, a tour where it’s not just a Test match where you can lose and it doesn’t really matter.”

Read’s fellow All Blacks legend, Marshall, couldn’t resist a little dig at the northern hemisphere and their poor World Cup record.

“It also gives the northern hemisphere a chance to actually play in a big final for once, otherwise we’re staring down the barrel of South Africa playing bloody New Zealand again,” he said.

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