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The series between South Africa and New Zealand finished 3-1 to the Springboks, with the final act played in Baltimore. The sporting analysis of that match has already been covered on these pages. In episode 40 of Divagazioni di Rugby, however, Cristian Lovisetto brought a different argument, and it is worth isolating: what Rassie Erasmus is building is not merely a winning team, it is a brand.
The argument
“I think Rassie Erasmus’s great objective, beyond winning the World Cup, was precisely to take New Zealand’s place culturally,” Lovisetto said. “That is, to become world rugby’s reference brand.”
To explain, he used a personal memory: when he coached youngsters in Spain, the answer to what their dream was came back invariably as “to play for the All Blacks”. Spanish kids, with no connection to New Zealand whatsoever. That magnetism, he argues, has not disappeared, but it has faded: “The Springboks have dimmed the All Blacks’ aura somewhat, and to me that is the great achievement.”
The example he offers is precisely the match in the United States: until a few years ago, in a neutral setting, the crowd would have come to watch the New Zealanders. Today, on the podcast’s reading, many come to watch the world champions. The All Blacks go from leading role to supporting cast.
The counterpoint: results come first
DanPat accepted the argument but set a boundary: in sport, culture is built on statistics. “The first thing Rassie did was restore the image of a winning South Africa, and you can’t do that without dominating the All Blacks comprehensively.”
The same logic applies to winning new markets: either you arrive in America as David and fell Goliath — an effect that does not last long — or you are a side so dominant that even non-committed spectators follow you. The definitive consecration, for both, would be a third consecutive world title: something that has never happened in the history of the sport, and for a team that ten years ago lost to Italy it would be an almost unbelievable arc.
It is worth remembering that the journey has already been documented: Chasing the Sun, the series produced with SA Rugby, followed the World Cups won in 2019 and 2023.
Beneath the first coat of paint
There is a cliché the podcast set out to dismantle: ask any supporter for the first word they associate with South Africa and the answer will be scrum, muscle, power. “You may not like it,” DanPat conceded, “but that’s the identity they’ve earned: you’re recognisable.”
Beneath that coat of paint, though, there is more. Small wings with outrageous power. Cheslin Kolbe — currently sidelined by injury — and a versatility unmatched in his position. A full-back in Willemse described as the most elegant player to watch on a pitch. And above all the nerve to think of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu as Handré Pollard’s heir.
The handling of the scrum-halves is read in the same light. Faf de Klerk was left out both of the Nations Championship group and of the extended squad for the New Zealand series, with Erasmus explaining the omission as part of the World Cup build-up; in his place came Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach, Herschel Jantjies and Morné van den Berg, who staked a claim to the starting shirt during the series.
A taste for pushing to the limit
The last part of the conversation is given over to what the two call the Erasmus method: the bomb squad, the 7+1 in a World Cup final, the unconventional tactical solutions, the habit of reading the laws in search of what is not written. The example cited is the handling of the six front-row players on the teamsheet: nowhere does it say three must start and three sit on the bench.
Another episode concerns Italy directly. In last year’s Test in Turin, after five minutes and a straight red card, South Africa’s first move was to take off a very young prop and bring on a far more experienced and far heavier player: a choice which, on the podcast’s reading, was about anchoring the scrum in the knowledge that the Azzurri could do damage there.
As for the rest — changes announced as injuries before a Test, World Rugby’s reactions, the suspicion that the treatment would have differed had the roles been reversed — we remain in the realm of opinion, and that is how it was presented on air too.
The sign-off, in any case, is Italian. “Which is the only side that has caused the Springboks problems in the scrum?” DanPat asked. He answered it himself.