Stormers, Bulls, Lions, and Sharks aim for URC playoffs with four teams

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and his teammates achieved an impressive result against the All Blacks led by Russell Erasmus, further solidifying the team's dominance over their arch-rival.

The triumphant series for the Springboks, with a score of 3:1 against the All Blacks, revealed a significant gap between these two Southern Hemisphere giants. After the fourth test in the greatest rugby rivalry in Baltimore, where the world champions won 43:28 and secured their first trophy, it is becoming increasingly difficult to claim that these two teams are evenly matched.

The Boks are now operating at a different level, and even the mighty representatives of New Zealand are struggling to keep up. To win three consecutive matches against the All Blacks requires a special team, and this is exactly what the Boks did, concluding the series after a loss in the first match at Ellis Park in August. However, three dominant performances, backed by immense squad depth, allowed them to defeat their bitter rivals.

Squad depth is the defining advantage of the Springboks

What makes the defeat of the world's second-ranked team even more significant is that in the last 10 encounters, the Springboks have won eight times, while the All Blacks have managed only two victories—one in Auckland and one in Ellis Park.

Meanwhile, the Boks have dominated them, especially in the match where they crushed the team 35:7 in Twickenham, the 43:10 victory in Wellington, and the latest win in Baltimore. This indicates that the evolution of the Springboks machine has surpassed the development of the mighty black team, and they are currently dominating their competitors. It is almost unheard of for the New Zealanders to lose three consecutive matches to the same team, let alone eight out of the last ten meetings against them.

However, this is the current situation between the two sides. And the most worrying thing is that in none of the Greatest Rivalry matches were the Boks playing at their best level. Issues such as lineup changes due to injuries, uncharacteristic errors, inability to convert numerous attacks in the 22-meter zone into points, and a high number of penalties slowed down the Springboks at various times. Nevertheless, even making these mistakes, the world champions find a way to win.

This is what currently distinguishes the teams: the depth of the Boks' squad, the ability of all players to fulfill any role, and the quality of that depth. New Zealand has failed to catch up over four tests, and injuries have severely undermined them, with the loss of captain Ardie Savea in the third match likely being the most significant. South Africa has shown them how to cope and win despite various changes, and this kind of depth is currently unprecedented in world rugby. The task now is to continue moving in this direction. Erasmus has demonstrated that they can change tactics and still beat the best in the world.

A warning for the 2027 World Cup

Before the matches against the Wallabies and Italy, before they meet France and Ireland in the Nations Cup, opportunities open up for further squad experimentation from Erasmus and his management. If they manage to include players such as Paul de Villiers, Cameron Hanekom, Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Vessels, Morne van den Berg, Ntutuku Mchunu, Zack Porten, Ben-Jason Dixon, Ethan Hooker, and Edwill van der Merwe, it will put the Boks in an even stronger position ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The Boks have already won the World Cup, defeated the All Blacks on home soil, dominated them in South Africa, and crushed them on neutral ground. More importantly, they did this with different combinations, different players, and under different circumstances. Perhaps this is the biggest wake-up call for the rest of the world: this Springboks team is not just beating the All Blacks—it is building sustainable dominance over them, making it a dangerous contender. Currently, the New Zealanders are chasing the world champions, and Erasmus and his management will want to maintain this state for many years to come.

Following a successful confrontation in the 'Greatest Rugby Rivalry' series against the All Blacks, the Springboks team, under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, will focus its attention on the Wallabies ahead of a match scheduled in Perth in a couple of weeks.

Having concluded the 'Greatest Rugby Rivalry' series, the Springboks are now turning their gaze towards the Wallabies, aiming to secure another convincing victory over the Southern Hemisphere team.

The team, which became champions after defeating the All Blacks 3-1 in four tests, demonstrated its ability to win in difficult conditions, despite trailing 1-0 at the start of the match. They managed to regain dominance over New Zealand by securing three consecutive victories.

These four intense matches were filled with high intensity, and the South Africans displayed their class against the determined New Zealand side in each one.

The first defeat at Ellis Park with a score of 33-16 was a serious cause for reflection, and the Boks were not proud of that result. In that game, they looked out of form, but they needed at least one more test, besides the battle with Argentina in South America, to fully blossom.

This is exactly what happened. With the support of thousands of fans at the FNB stadium in Cape Town, they secured a 33-26 victory, and later in Baltimore with a score of 43-28; the Springboks showed some of their best performances in the Rassie Erasmus era, despite all the external noise directed at the team, especially after the first loss at Ellis Park.

The team improved weekly, which was evident in their playing style. Nevertheless, there were areas for improvement, such as the inability to convert numerous 22-meter attempts and playing throughout the full 80 minutes. These aspects will be the focus during the trip to Australia to improve in these areas.

The selection in Soweto and Baltimore showed stability despite several injuries. Erasmus made many changes between the matches with Argentina and Ellis Park, as well as between Ellis Park and Cape Town, which affected the continuity of the Boks' play. However, the coach managed these changes and led a strong team thanks to the depth of the squad he built, something many teams cannot boast.

Although the victory over the Wallabies is the primary goal, this single test gives the world champions another opportunity to experiment with the squad. Although the same squad will travel from the USA to Perth, there are several reserve players who lack playing time.

The next game will give Erasmus more chances to experiment with combinations and allow some players, such as Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel, and Malcolm Marx, who received red cards against the All Blacks, to rest.

The Boks also do not plan to deviate significantly from their game plan. They might change tactics, play in an attacking style, and overcome a team like New Zealand through six points to four, as seen in Baltimore, but the physical approach and set-piece play will always be a priority.

Australia can expect a clash of mauls and running attacks at the Optus Stadium.

Rassie Erasmus stated: 'I know that we sometimes irritate people around the world with how we play, but we care most about the people of South Africa.' He added: 'We understand their opinions and enjoy the teasing, but there is only one reason for us as a team and for us as a country—it is (that we play) for South Africa.'

Several young players from the Stormers team made a strong impression on rugby director John Dobson during the pre-season friendly match for the United Rugby Championship (URC). The game took place in Paarl against the Bulls on Friday.

Although the Stormers team lost to their opponents with a score of 38:26 at the Faure Street Stadium in Winelands, the final result should not cause serious problems for the Cape Town side.

Both teams had outstanding scrums in attack, and the Stormers frequently forced the Bulls backward, earning several penalties during this phase of the game. This advantage continued into the second half, as the Pretoria squad could not counter the powerful scrums.

Both teams successfully utilized rolling mauls, but the visitors dominated in this aspect, scoring several points thanks to their strong forwards. The Stormers were also able to earn a penalty try through a strong effort in the second half.

However, errors after the break, such as a charged kick from substitute flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed and some confusion in the midfield that left a huge gap in defense, led to two tries that changed the course of the game in favor of the Bulls.

Experience exchange and player performances

A good early burst from experienced players, including captain Marcell Coetzee, number eight Jandré Rudolph, teammate Hanro Liebenberg, and fullback Willie le Roux, helped the visitors gain a 17:12 lead at halftime. Other notable performers for the Bulls included winger Sébastien de Clercq, who looked sharp in attack after a long injury layoff, scrumhalf Paul de Wet, and inside centre Stravino Jacobs.

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann stated after the match: "I just told Dobson that it was perfect in terms of what we wanted to see from the players." He added: "There were mistakes that we know we need to fix, but a big plus is the lack of injuries. Willie had a slight hamstring tightness, but otherwise, we went through the game unscathed. There were good moments, and we are pleased with that."

For the Stormers, speedy runner Roland Leighton Davids scored almost on the first touch, outpacing Bulls winger Taakir Abraham with his explosive speed to run down the sideline and score. Although Abraham is not weak himself, the manner in which Davids overtook him showed that he has something special.

Young fullback Dylan Miller scored two tries and looked reliable after active participation in the Stormers XXIII Currie Cup campaign. Newcomers to the squad, forwards Ollie Reid (prop), and loose forwards Louw Nel and Xola Nyali, also played well alongside number eight Hajiva Daimani.

Dobson noted after the game: "Listen, I am honestly very happy." He continued: "I thought, considering the number of guys we selectively brought into this game, 17 out of 31 players had never played in the URC before, so playing against this Bulls team was good. I am very excited about Leighton's performance. He was better than I expected. I think there is something truly special in him."

This match served as good preparation for both teams before the start of the URC at the end of September. Both coaches were able to conduct experiments and assess the players' readiness for the upcoming challenges. A positive aspect of the day in Paarl was the absence of injuries before the new season.

Match results

Final score: Stormers 26 (12) : Bulls 38 (17). Tries scored by halves: Dylan Miller (2), Leighton Davids, penalty try. Conversions: Yuri Matty (2). Bulls scored: Jandré Rudolph, Hanro Liebenberg, Taakir Abraham, Vian Mentour, J.J. Teron, Sébastien de Clercq. Conversions: Ruben Groenewald, Mentour (3).