Ex-All Blacks wing Jeff Wilson believes the Springboks are “close to their ceiling”, but former Bok No 9 Kevin Putt disagrees.
The pair debated the world champions’ potential for further growth on Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown following their 3-1 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series victory over New Zealand.
Putt, a New Zealander who played 11 tour matches for his adopted nation and was an unused replacement in eight Tests, believes the Boks’ depth and Rassie Erasmus’ management of his squad mean there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“I don’t think there’s potentially a limit on how much better the Springboks can get in terms of where they’re going,” Putt said.
“They’ve got depth of position; age is not a limitation. They’re able to balance the longevity of someone like Malcolm Marx – it is just incredible.”
Putt believes Erasmus’ ability to manage players’ workloads has helped extend the careers of key Boks.
“In another country, you’d want to be the main guy. You want to play every minute, every game, all the rest of it.
“Marx has probably increased his salary three times over the period of time. He’s still known as the world’s best, and he’s playing probably 50-60% of the rugby.”
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Wilson, however, argued that Erasmus’ selections for the final three Tests against the All Blacks showed he has effectively settled on his strongest group.
“The depth that they have created is amazing, but you do realise you can only pick 23 players,” Wilson said.
“I don’t think there are many players that can come into that group who played outside those last three Test matches and makes a significant difference.
“They are the team to beat, like we [the All Blacks] were going into 2015. But they’re not unbeatable.
“I think they’re close to their ceiling. Their ceiling is really good. They are an outstanding team. I don’t know how much better they can get.”
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Putt countered that the emergence of younger players, combined with Erasmus’ increased freedom after the 3-1 series win, leaves considerable scope for development.
“I don’t see that as a ceiling,” he said. “There are some of these guys coming through who still have such youth.”
Wilson nevertheless doubled down, arguing that even established two-time World Cup winners could now struggle to crack Erasmus’ preferred side.
“I’d be very surprised if we see Handré Pollard play in a big Test match again for the Springboks,” he said.
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“He’s no doubt found some new talent, but I don’t think it’s significantly better than what’s out there.
“You can only have 15 on the paddock. What they do have is insurance like no other team right now.”
Photo: Michael Franken Photography
