A Springboks forward has earned glowing praise from former England prop David Flatman, who has revealed his ‘total respect’ for South Africa.
The legendary Bath front-rower-cum-respected pundit doesn’t agree with everything that Rassie Erasmus has done during his time with the Boks, but has applauded the innovation and creativity of the head coach.
No reason why the Springboks can’t win three in a row
So much so that he won’t write off South Africa completing their Rugby World Cup three-peat in Australia next year but does predict that England will be their biggest challengers for the title.
“South Africa 2027 World Cup is going for a third in a row. Can you see it happening?” Harlequins and England great Danny Care asked Flatman on the Hits Different show.
“Yeah,” the ex-prop replied.
Care added: “There’s no reason why not, is there? ”
“I actually think, and I know we’re both English, but let’s wait until the Six Nations comes and goes,” Flatman continued.
“But I feel like England might be their biggest competition in this World Cup.
“South Africa won a World Cup in 2019 with not just brute force, it was doing the job up front, magic on the wings, but I think they’re really inventive and creative and you don’t quite know what’s coming next against South Africa unless it’s scrum time when you know exactly what’s coming and what you’re going to do about it because they got loads of them.”
Moving the conversation on, Care believes that South Africa are one of the few nations that still put a big focus on their 7s program with the shorter format of the game continuing to produce Springboks.
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A short Pieter-Steph du Toit
He pointed to Kwagga Smith, but the likes of Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse have also benefited from stints in the Blitzboks set-up.
“People like Kwagga Smith was in the 7s for four or five years; they still a country that places a massive emphasis on 7s rugby and what it can do,” Care said.
“He’s now starting in the 23 every single week. You put him in a different team, people say ‘Ah, he is not big enough’ but he is a dog.”
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Flatman replied: “He is a dog of war mate, he’s Pieter-Steph du Toit but a foot shorter, there’s value in that. It’s almost the attitude and the mentality around the Boks.
“Rassie Erasmus is not everyone’s cup of tea and I really, really didn’t like what he did to the ref that time and I don’t like some of that stuff.
“I really, really don’t like the fact that South Africa doesn’t do post-match interviews. He just doesn’t do it. I do quite like it [the attitude] because it’s like we’re here to win, mate.
“I love the way they win. I love the way they innovate. I would say that I don’t love everything about what I know of his MO [modus operandi], but loads of it I do. And the respect is total.
“I love watching them play because what are they going to come up with next? I love it.”