The Springboks set the standard in 2025 - but they can be even better in 2026

Historic highs in 2025

It's been a wildly successful season for the Boks by any measure. The defence of their Rugby Championship may have felt somewhat expected to Bok fans, but that only shows how far this team has come. The idea of winning back-to-back trophies in a competition also featuring the All Blacks used to be a far-off dream... not so anymore.

That the defence of their title also included a record 43-10 victory in New Zealand that threatened to rock the very foundations of the sport, and an equally imperious 67-30 dismantling of a dangerous Pumas side, only further underlined that 2025 was shaping up to be a season of historic proportions.

The Boks then headed north for a wildly successful end-of-year tour that saw them punish both France and Italy with 14 men before dismantling Ireland in Dublin in a series of performances every bit as emphatic as the ones they produced in the Rugby Championship.

Earlier losses against the All Blacks in Auckland  - and particularly a chastening defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park - seemed only to galvanise the team and spur them on to even greater things. It may even have helped settle a few questions in the coaches' minds as to the right way forward for this Bok side, because they've scarcely put a foot wrong since.

In short, the Boks seem to have found a level they're very comfortable with - namely the one that makes other coaches furiously google 'how to beat the Springboks' after every match - and are ready to deliver it week in and week out.

And yet, even in a season where they spent long stretches looking close to untouchable, the message from within the Bok camp has always been that they remain very much a work in progress.

A more complete team

Following their World Cup win in 2023, Erasmus set about the challenging task of evolving the Springboks' game plan rather than overhauling it entirely.

The addition of Tony Brown to the coaching setup signalled a push to make the Boks more expansive and dynamic in attack, and a little less predictable for opponents who had grown accustomed to their traditional one-two punch of brute power and a lethal aerial game.

Crucially, however, this is a project that is very much still in its early stages. You don't change the way a team like the Springboks play overnight - it's more like turning a massive ship than spinning a speedboat.

The Boks have built up their direct, hard-running reputation over decades and habits, instincts, and ingrained patterns take time to adjust. While glimpses of a more expansive, fluid style are clearly visible, they certainly haven't reached their ceiling in this regard.

Of course, it helps immensely that in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, they have an exciting young fly-half who can provide exactly the kind of creative spark they are looking for, but the Boks' evolving game plan is attempting to change the way the whole team plays, ensuring even forwards can carry and link up with their teammates more effectively.

We've seen the Springboks score plenty of tries this season under this evolving game plan, but we've also seen them fall on their traditional strengths whenever the situation calls for it.

And why wouldn't they? Amid all the talk of the Boks being determined to evolve, their power game and scrum dominance remain as brutally effective as ever - and if anything, are reaching terrifying new heights - weapons they can still unleash at any moment to grind teams into submission.

It's an embarrassment of riches for a team looking to expand their game when their core skills are humming along like a finely tuned engine - powerful, precise, and virtually unstoppable.

Consider also how many key players have been unavailable for large parts of the 2025 season, from established talents like Ox Nche and Aphelele Fassi to rising stars like Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom - and yet the Boks still have the depth to rotate, adapt, and dominate.

If anything, 2026 could see this squad grow even deeper and more formidable, as a few more pieces fall into place to create an even more threatening picture for their rivals.

The future looks bright

If 2025 was the year the Springboks confirmed their status as the team to beat, next year promises to be the year they push the boundaries even further.

With a potent mix of world-class experience, emerging talent, and a game plan that is evolving without losing the ruthless efficiency that defines them, the Boks look very much like a team still on the rise.