Divvy's Boks still the best
BOK RANKINGS: The Springboks picked up another World Cup title not too long ago and there has been a lot of debate about where Rassie Erasmus’ team is ranked amongst the best in the modern era.
When one look at the best teams, there is always a spotlight on the World Cup winners.
The Springboks have three teams (1995, 2007 and 2019) that fall in that category, but none of them are the greatest.
There is also Nick Mallet’s Bok team of 1997 and 1998, who posted a record 17 consecutive wins, but they also fall short of being the best.
That accolade surely must go to the class of 2009.
One could say Peter de Villiers’ team in that year was just an extension of what Jake White built between 2004 and 2007.
However, De Villiers’ team were on another level to the rest in the way they went about their business on the field.
Story continues below…
After the Boks won the World Cup in 2007 there was a bit of dip in 2008 before the Boks kicked on to new heights the following year.
With players like Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana, Bismarck du Plessis, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers, Francois Steyn and Heinrich Brussow all playing at their peak, the Springboks edged the British and Irish Lions in a brutal series.
They then went on to win their first Tri-Nations crown in five years, beating the All Blacks three times (two home, one away) in the process.
Even the great Richie McCaw admitted that it was the best side he ever faced.
Erasmus has done a miraculous job in turning the Springboks into World Champions in the space of 18 months.
After a 0-57 drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks in 2017, few would have given the Boks a chance of even making the final four in 2019.
On paper, Rassie’s team doesn’t seem as strong as some of the others mentioned above, but their transformation and story certainly puts them on the list.
Below is a ranking of the top Bok teams:
1 – Peter de Villiers’ 2009 team
2 – Nick Mallet’s 1997/1998 team
3 – Kitch Christie’s 1995 World Cup winners
4 – Jake White’s World Cup winners
5 – Rassie Erasmus’ 2019 World Cup winners
