Boks: Selection stability their ticket to Championship glory?

 Sport24 chief writer

Resurgent in Sydney, the Springboks would be well advised to put their bigger-picture “Operation RWC 2023” plans to one side … at least for two further rounds of very devoted Rugby Championship 2022 emphasis.

They are back as real challengers for the honours, courtesy of their bruising but ruthless 24-8 victory over the Wallabies on Saturday.

It was a priceless avenging win over the Australians: had the result gone the other way, the World Cup holders would have been left ingloriously rooted at the foot of the table and with very little hope of further say in the title race.

Instead, with a tantalising solitary point splitting all four sides and New Zealand nominally one point ahead, it is wide open.

While it is risky to suggest weak links, given the crazy fluctuations in fortunes for all participants this year, the Boks would traditionally have reason to feel confident of their closing two fixtures both being against Argentina (in Buenos Aires in just under a fortnight and then back in Durban a week later).

That is a case on its own, frankly, for the experimental theme to many of Jacques Nienaber’s selections this year to go to the backburner until the November tour of Europe.

It is only some 13 months ago, remember, that the Boks did the double over the Pumas in Gqeberha – very soon after the successful exertions of the British and Irish Lions series – with respective 32-12 and 29-10 victories.

The first was achieved with a bonus point, meaning a productive 9/10 log-points haul from the two dates.

One of this year’s fixtures being in Argentina itself brings different, potentially steeper challenges, of course: but it is also worth bearing in mind that the Boks clinched the curtailed 2019 version of the