White’s appraisal of Rassie and Springboks thus far

Always vocal on SA rugby’s current affairs, former Springbok coach Jake White believes Rassie Erasmus’ Boks are on the right path for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

In White’s latest column for All Out Rugby, he was full of praise for Eramsus and the improvements that he has made to the Bok outfit.

This appraisal comes following a much improved Rugby Championship showing from the Boks, who finished 2nd, beating the All Blacks away from home and then losing to them in the final minute at Loftus, 32-30.

White’s belief is that the Boks and South African rugby have finally turned a corner.

“Six months ago, the New Zealand media would never have questioned the All Blacks, but after what happened in Wellington and Pretoria I read an article where they were talking about the World Cup opener against South Africa being ‘like war’ because whoever loses that match will probably have to face Ireland in the quarter-finals,” wrote White.

“That reaction confirms that the Boks are legit. We might not have all the stats that people would like to see, but it’s obvious that South Africa has turned a corner, in their performances and psychologically, and that will make other teams very wary of the Boks.”

In looking to 2019 he continued

“Whether people like it or not, it’s not debateable – the jewel in the rugby crown is the World Cup. The champions get four years’ bragging rights and one thing Rassie has continually said is that his plan is to make sure the team is ready for 2019.”

“He knows the first game against New Zealand is the one he has to be ready for and, if you measure what he’s done this year, there’s enough there to say the Boks are on track.”