Sir John Kirwan hails the Springboks who ‘remind’ him of the 2015 All Blacks
Sir John Kirwan has hailed the Springboks after Rassie Erasmus' men claimed back-to-back wins over the All Blacks.
All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan has likened the current Springboks to the double World Cup-winning New Zealand teams and lays down a marker for Scott Robertson’s men.
The Springboks claimed back-to-back wins over the All Blacks and extended their winning streak to four matches against their old rival.
Rassie Erasmus’ men came from behind at Ellis Park overturning a 10-point deficit to defeat New Zealand 31-27 in round three of the Rugby Championship before leaving it late again in Cape Town with a Malcolm Marx try sealing an 18-12 victory.
Sir John Kirwan congratulates the Springboks
Kirwan is renowned for his punditry work on Sky Sport NZ’s Breakdown show, however, the legendary winger has missed the last two shows and has taken to social media again to praise the Springboks.
Following the defeat in Johannesburg, he took a dig at the TMO after the controversial try for Bongi Mbonambi but did praise the Boks for ‘knowing how to win’, thoughts that he has echoed once again.
He has also hailed the Springboks ‘Bomb Squad’ and their ability to close out the game despite saying that he would ‘boo at his tv‘ when they were introduced in Johannesburg.
“How good the South Africans, they remind me of our team from 2011 to 2015 where they just know how to win,” Kirwan said in a social media post.
“Guys come on late, do the right thing, make the right decisions. This is a very, very good South African side. Dare I say it the world champions deserved it.
“For the All Blacks, they need to pick themselves up and get on with it. We need to beat Australia two zip.”
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Sir John Kirwin on the Springboks. #RSAvNZL pic.twitter.com/i7Qr9SUVuz
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) September 9, 2024
The 2011-2015 All Blacks are widely regarded as the greatest Test team of all time as they dominated the international game winning back-to-back World Cup and just about everything in between during that period.
Following the two victories over the All Blacks, Erasmus’ charges are now well-placed to win the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 as they face off in back-to-back Tests against Argentina needing two log points to win the title.
As for the All Blacks, they will clash against Australia in back-to-back Tests that double up as Bledisloe Cup matches – a trophy New Zealand has held since 2002.
