Former England scrumhalf Matt Dawson has hailed the Springboks’ history-makers as the greatest-ever World Cup team.
By defending their World Cup title in Paris, the Springboks replicated the feats of the legendary All Blacks team that claimed back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2015.
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Following this year’s tournament, South Africa now has 25 players who have two World Cup winner’s medals. Before the tournament in France, only Os du Randt (1995 and 2007) and Frans Steyn (2007 and 2019) were Springboks who had won two World Cups.
Of the 23 players who played in the 2019 final in Yokohama, 14 were included in the Bok matchday squad for the 2023 final in Paris.
New Zealand had 14 players who played in 2011 and 2015, while Australia’s Wallabies had just five players involved in their 1991 and 1999 World Cup wins.
However, writing for the BBC, Dawson proclaimed Siya Kolisi’s 2023 Boks as the best-ever World Cup team, after one-point wins over tournament hosts France, England and New Zealand through the playoffs.
“I don’t think anyone has got anywhere close to that previously, and given the format going forward, I’m not sure it will happen again,” Dawson wrote in his BBC column.
“It’s not because they have won back-to-back tournaments, even though there were 14 players in the matchday 23 that were involved in Japan four years ago. It’s the nature of how they have played.
“To get out of a difficult pool, which included Ireland and Scotland, and then defeat hosts France in the quarter-final, England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final, is some achievement.
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“The All Blacks may have had better individual players when they won in 2011 and 2015, but I would go with South Africa as a better team,” Dawson added.
Former British & Irish Lions halfback Dawson famously did not select a single Springbok in a combined XV ahead of the 2019 final against England.
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
