Franco: Boks now the hunted

Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith says the Springboks have a target on their back.

Speaking on The Lekker Rugby Pod, the former Bok flyhalf said every team in world rugby is gunning for the Boks and will be delivering their best in an attempt to boss Rassie Erasmus’ charges.

“Obviously the Boks are the hunted. They get everyone’s best performance. If someone beats the Boks, all the fans storm the field, it’s famous. It’s historic.”

But Smith feels the Springboks will be more than ready for the challenges that lie ahead. He says Erasmus has already shown signs of innovation through how the Boks played last season, and through some of the personnel he’s brought in.

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One of the big guns Erasmus has in his coaching arsenal is attack coach Tony Brown. The former All Black general has spoken in the build-up to the season about building on what’s already working.

“The South Africans have a massive strength around how they play the game and as long as you’re not losing your way and you’re adding value in and around that, you know, that big rock that makes you a good rugby team, then you’re always going to be successful,” Brown said.

Smith agrees – take the Boks’ traditional strengths and add a few more elements.

“Will we see them play more with ball in hand from set piece and from structured organisation? Definitely. We’ve seen evidence of that at the end of last season, so surely they’re going to play a little bit more rugby. Going into the next World Cup, it’s definitely going to be more liberal than we have already seen.”

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Smith also likes the healthy competition for places within the squad.

“Look, there’s some ingredients in the South African team that’s different. The players who play in Japan, they get managed well. So, they’re reasonably fresh coming into this competition.

“You have some young guys which Rassie has introduced and that brings new energy, new enthusiasm to the group and that will lift training quality. It will lift the competition in the group. So I definitely think this is an ingredient that will help.”