Former All Black great Sir John Kirwan believes that the Rugby World Cup winning Springboks could struggle to adapt to the new World Rugby laws, adding that their style is “not the future” of the game.
Despite winning back-t0-back Rugby World Cups, he didn’t believe they were “the standard” for the global game but stopped short of putting New Zealand as number one.
Kirwan’s passionate response came after former All Black winger Jeff Wilson claimed that South Africa were “top of the pile” after demolishing a young Welsh side a fortnight ago at Twickenham.
Wilson explained to The Breakdown panel that the performance showed why the Springboks are the “ultimate challenge” for Robertson’s new All Blacks.
“That’s why when I compare our team, I’m going to compare them to the World Cup champions, because they are the ultimate challenge right now,” Wilson said on Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown.
“They are a different style but we have to be adaptable. If you watch the Springboks run all over the top [of Wales] the other day. We are not on top of the pile right now, we are chasing.”
“I disagree,” Kirwan interjected, “Let me ask you this, if the All Blacks in the second half of the Rugby World Cup final had been able to run the ball a wee bit more, and we can speed the game up with the new rules, do you think South Africa are going to be as effective?”
Wilson replied: “Yes, because they can do some things at source that other teams can’t do. You watch them and they’ve got a thing called a hybrid player.
“That’s why they can run a 6-2 bench when you’ve got a guy like Kwagga Smith. He’s covering the midfield because he’s played sevens.
“The way that they play, the dominance they’ve got. Did you see Evan Roos, the number eight, burst through the middle of the park? He was a beast. South Africa right now are the standard.”
The near full-strength Springboks led 14-13 at half-time over the plucky Wales side who were full of inexperienced players, before pulling away in the second half to win 41-13.
However, Kirwan was not convinced by South Africa’s change of play under new assistant Tony Brown, explaining that they have a style that works for tournament rugby but doesn’t produce a lot outside of the Rugby World Cup.
“I don’t think they are the standard mate,” Kirwan said.
“I think they know how to win World Cups right, but I don’t think they play a type of rugby that’s the future of our game,” he said.
“They play a style that is effective for them.
“Outside of World Cups, we probably win most of the time, but World Cups, they play a style of football that suits them, that is a winning style of football.
“We need to combat that, but we can’t be them.”
“That’s why I couldn’t believe how you just raved about South Africa for like five minutes,” Kirwan said.
The former All Black urged Scott Robertson to innovate over this cycle and change up a lot of what the side has been doing over the last decade.
Kirwan hinted that the power game may be the future after 140kg prop Pasilio Tosi was a suprise bolter selection.
Of the three 140kg players in New Zealand rugby, two of them are now in the All Blacks squad with Crusaders prop Tamiati Williams the other squad selection.
“I don’t think we can win the next World Cup unless we show some innovation,” he said.
“How long has everyone been doing pods? What’s the next innovation from the pod play that everyone does?
“Are we going to change the game through athletes, or through tactics and the technical side?
“Tamiati, his build, Tosi, that build I think is coming. I think we’ve got four years to work this out.”
