Name your best bok year ever and why?

Rassie has done the unthinkable this year and that is building a team that can field two teams on the same day and beat the the best teams in the world.

We now have the

1. Springbok 15

2. Springbok 14

As the best teams in the world.

But. Rassie lost two games this year. Australia, a game we should have won given how poor they became and the one at Eden Park. But we beat all the teams except England who we did not play but will meet them in June next year.

Which seasons were your favourite. As a Bok team we always seem to peak around the world cups. The only coach that got us to peak was Mallet in 1998, but we had Jake white in 2004 and 2007.

Kitch in 1995 who is the only unbeaten coach.

Pieter De Villiers in 2009 lions tour and beating the all blacks back to back.

2019 and 2023 World cup years.

But since then. We have been number 1 in 2024 and 2025.

What is obvious, Rassie has definitely build depth and succession into the boks.

So which season is the greatest bok season for you?

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1998 - an almost perfect season beating Aus and NZ twice with only the loss to England at the very end to spoil the fun.

2019 - coming off the shambles of 2016 and 2017 to win a World Cup two years later against many odds, and with a memorable final performance. I don't think it will be remembered as a year of great rugby per se as we were still a bit box kicky back then iirc and we nearly fluffed it against Wales, but the new gear we shifted into in the final was a thing of beauty.

2025 - this year was quite a romp with wins over just about every major nation except England (who we didn't play), record win over NZ, the 14-man dismantling of France and Italy. Even that hammer of a wakeup call against the Aussies first out added spice to the broth. I enjoyed this year more than the World Cup in 2023.

Th is type of thing is theoretical and not of any value, Lets explain it more carefully and then see things in perspective:=

1. Christie was an outstanding coach - but he wa in charge fro only a year because of cancer and that makes him not really anything lie a long term asessor,
2. Mallett inherited a squad from his predecessir who beleived in 15 man rugby, It went very well in 1997 in the EOYT and he won with it 16 tests in a row, Hpwever when Mallett fucked up royally when eh had to replace players asnd that ended his glory year,
3. De vililliers ws a failed caoach over a four year period and in 2008 and 2009 won matches - but the fact was it was not sustainable - in hened failed in the
4. The squad and team he had to build up in 1997 was ranked as no 7 in the world when it came t the 2019 Draw for the WC and that is why in Round i the Springboks face the AB's in the RWC. The lost against the AB's bt went on to win wevery other match n the series to win teh RWC/. The same situaion remained unstabele asa result of the pandemic and no team building was possible. The fact s te 2023 RWC win ws actually unexpected,- but it didd happen. At this stage the fact sis payers from 2019 and 2023 are ina stage where repalcement is necesary and some reals tars are coming through in the process,
5. If the Sprinboks win in hee 2027 RWC the wuestiona sked above would be immaterial - to me the proof needs to eb in the pudding - titles and trophies won is what counts in the end,

It is nt the odd ests lost - it si whaat ttrophies are in he display cabinet of the Springboks and remained there that counts in the end. , ,

Th is type of thing is theoretical and not of any value,

It's just a conversation piece, ou Maaik. Everything doesn't have to be of intrinsic value.

To most people I would think and I know I feel this way, a World Cup win is the Ultimate.

To me The greatest year was Rassie's second world cup year.

The fighting spirit and resilience of The BOks was unprecedented.

Rooitwit recently highlighted Rassie's ability to inspire a team. He is right.

That World Cup win will go down in history as one of the greatest. spectacles ever in Rugby. The match against France has been called by many as the greatest test ever.

That is why I say if you cant be proud and happy about the Boks these days when will you ever be happy.

Ja, all the other coaches were only able to achieve that once, but we all know teams have ebs and flows as players mature and then there is a gap before the next generation or coach cycle.

You cold argue that Jake benefitted from the Bulls winning teams as well as the stormers playing so well. Piet took over a very capable bok team who struggled in 2008 but then bounced back after they decided to ignore what he was trying to coach them. We all know how that ended before Meyer came back to try and build the bok team from nothing, but he had some egg on face moments in losing to Japan and Argentina for the first time. So I can't say he set the world alight, but then Rassie boks benefited massively from those players that were blooded. That said, Rassie could ask take credit because Eben, Kittshoff, Malherbe, Kolisi all came through the Stormers system when he was the director of rugby.

For me, I must be honest, I think this year has been the best, not because we had some major wins away from home. Beating up NZ in Wellington, Beating France with 14 players and beating up the Irish at home but more so in the players that we are seeing coming through.

We had a really young backline yesterday.

Van den Berg

Sasha

Hooker

Moodie

Willemse is no longer young but he is only 27. So still plenty of years left in him.

Only Dud and Esterhuizen were over 30 with Reinach on the bench at 35.

We are also seeing youngster in the pack and Porthen looks like a real prospect.

Nortje has now taken over as the permier lock commanding our lineouts. He is not bulky but he can play all game with an incredible engine.

We are no longer waiting for the next gen players to mature and enduring a beating like in the past but we are winning massive games.

I get what you are saying about Mallet. I think it was a combination of Markgraaf that laid the foundation, Du Plessis that put the attack emphasis in there and then Mallet with his game management skills. But none of the past coaches looked at really building depth, maybe some credit to White who started it and started to look at resting players. Hanneke had to pretty much rely on the under 21 team to fill the whole left by Piet helium and his earl rose is the tiger woods of rugby or was that Pienaar.

a year is a long time in Rugby, will have to see what next year hold but I am more assured than before.