Siya Kolisi: Springboks chasing year-round dominance, not just World Cups

Captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick emphasized this on Friday in Johannesburg, highlighting the importance of squad depth, fitness, and an evolving game plan under head coach Rassie Erasmus and attack coach Tony Brown in their ongoing quest to be the greatest team in the world.

The desire for change stems from the recognition that the Boks' World Cup success has not always translated into dominance in the Rugby Championship or a win rate that reflects their status.

The Springboks have claimed the Rugby Championship and its earlier versions only five times and have never successfully defended the title, with New Zealand historically dominating the competition.

"We want to be the best all the time. We've never wanted that; it's never been a goal to say we just want to focus on World Cups because anything can happen in a World Cup. So now it's everything in between too," Kolisi said.

"Being number one makes a difference when it comes to the World Cup draw and pools, so the mindset is definitely to try and win every single game, but also building squad depth because that helps a lot in the long run."

To that end, the Boks are determined to evolve their style of play and create a more fluid attacking game, including getting the forwards involved in moving the ball, which is why fitness has been a key focus, according to assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.

"We have standards that we've set for ourselves and goals to go with them. For us, it's being able to maintain those goals and be the best in the world, not only during the World Cup year but throughout," said Stick.

"When the Springboks are playing, it is a different vibe for the people of South Africa, so we don't take it for granted. We want to be the best in the world, and we want to stay there.

"With the way we want to develop our game, you can see that with the input of Tony Brown, we want to play that fast game. Most of our forwards now are passing, which you wouldn't have seen in the past.

"Yes, we want to develop our game, and fitness is a big part of that goal. If you want to be the best in the world and compete against Australia, the All Blacks and Ireland, the players have to be fit enough to handle whatever challenges the opposition throws at you."