Wednesday marked the three-year anniversary of the 2019 World Cup final, but Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are firmly focused on their preparations for the next global tournament in France in 2023.
While this week marked three years since Siya Kolisi and the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, there was little time for celebrations as the Boks kept their eyes set on retaining the title of world champions next year.
“Winning the World Cup was wonderful in 2019, it was great, but the bragging rights are over and we are on to the next World Cup,” Erasmus said.
“The focus is now on what is around the corner and we can see it is going to be a very closely contested World Cup — we saw how Scotland pushed Australia last week and could have won if that last-minute kick had gone over.”
ON THIS DAY: Boks celebrate World Cup glory
For Erasmus, getting a win in Saturday’s Test over Ireland in Dublin – his first game back in a stadium since being handed a match-day ban by World Rugby last year – will be an important box to be checked before next year’s World Cup.
“What we have to do now is win these four tour games and go into the World Cup year with momentum, and it would be great to start with beating Ireland on Saturday,” Erasmus explained. “I have never been on the winning side in Dublin since I became a coach, not with the Springboks and not when I coached Munster [in 2016 and 2017].
“I watched the Boks get a proper hiding here in 2017 when they got beaten 38-3. The last time I was with a winning Springbok team in Dublin was when I was a player.”
.@mark_keohane and Zels give their predictions for the Boks vs Ireland, and it’s not all smiles for the World Champs… pic.twitter.com/M8nfg4aKUF
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) November 2, 2022
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
