All Blacks 'will capitalise' on wastefulness, warns Davids as Boks look to build momentum

Like a series of one-off runners coming around the corner, one massive ball-carrier after the other, all of Springbok rugby’s notable successes are built on momentum.

Take their three World Cup titles, for example: 1995 was achieved after Transvaal had made the Super 10 final, the 2007 victory followed the rarity of having two SA franchises in the Super 14 decider, while 2019 was built on the Boks also being crowned Rugby Championship winners that year.

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There will always be grumbles that, because 2019 was only a single round competition, the Boks’ maiden Rugby Championship title didn’t exactly smack the same, as the kids say. 

But the fact that they became the first team in history to win the Webb Ellis Cup the same year they won the Rugby Championship says one thing – the Springboks need to feel like they’re building up a head of steam when they’re going into a big tournament like this year’s World Cup.

This is where this year’s Rugby Championship tournament comes in. The Stormers have already taken care of the runner-up aspect by finishing second to Munster in the URC. Now the Boks need to follow through by winning the Rugby Championship.

As starts go, the 43-12 victory over Australia at Loftus Versfeld was exactly what they needed, especially seeing that this put them on top of the table by two points' difference over their next opponents, the All Blacks.

The tight margins at the top of the Rugby Championship log makes Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks – who beat Argentina 41-12 in their campaign opener – an effective final, which explains why the Bok management team sent an advance party of players to acclimatise for the Auckland fixture.

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