I don't know if anyone on here has looked back at the boks win ratio over the years but we always seem to do better on our win ratio during world cup years. 

So far this year we are at 4 wins out of five which gives us 80%

Why is that? 

Actually top teams tend to improve their win ratio during WC years because they play a series of games against low ranked teams they don’t normally play.

For South Africa, with a large % of players living overseas, often the Boks are not playing a first-choice team until the World Cup year. 

Sometimes players used to return to SA in the world cup year to be eligible for the Boks - when there were limits on the number of overseas players.

It did not happen in 2015 - when going into the WC we were in losing all games in the Rugby Championship  and then lost against Japan.    The ratio went up in 2015 slightly because the Springboks then played and won 3 round robin matches against poor teams and won in the Quarterfinal against Wales  miacle win be]cause 5 minutes before the end o the game was sill leading - losing in the Semi and winning against a fun team from Argentina.

2014 was a miserable year for the Springboks - 2015 was real shit.  There was also nothing  positive about the 2011 WC anyway.   So lets put it mildly your statement may impress some - but quality of rugby in 2011 and 2015 must be borne in mind.     

Valid point Mike, those were dark years and some times coaches throw games to give fringe players a shot. In Meyers case the players weren’t mentally prepared. But our average is normally 63% in other years. 

My theory is that we play New Zealand and Australia less who are normally in the top 5 and New Zealand was the number one ranked team. 

However, that is true that we play lower tier teams which gives us a boost but have you also considered that for 7 weeks the boks is in one country. They are use to travel and be away from home for a long period of time. 

6 nations, players stay at home and just jump on the plane the night before. No time zone to worry about. 

Then the quality of the comp. In the 6 nations there are always 3 teams or even 5 teams that are below par which gives them the edge, 

Then, New Zealand only have to hop over the ditch to play Australia where the boks have to go around the world to play both. 

Don’t forget that we only have 5 or 6 test matches at home. The rest is abroad and we often play up to 14 test in a year. 

So we are already at 50% chance of winning games with home advantage. Then we travel to Argentina, New Zealand and Australia to try and win some games. The boks have a poor record.

Come the end of year tour, the guys have travelled all over the globe and now end up in Europe. There are always one or two teams that are on top and I can’t remember when last the boks had a clean sweep of away test. 

So maybe we not just a cup team but the fact we don’t play teams like Italy, Japan or even some of the Island teams that often. NZ always start their tour in Japan or against and Island team. 

So I think a combination of playing weaker teams to dial the boks in and the fact that they are in one country, use be away from home for long periods actual helps them in World Cup years

2015, the Aussies test was lost exclusively through Damian. The Kiwi test was lost through an illegal lineout play. Dark years? The last six have been far darker. Our worst rugby of the professional era. 

The fact is that you are talking BS again l'Grande Merde.   Meyer was clueless when it came team selection and he had the worst  possible selections in most cases.   The tams lost the home test against Argentina when De Villiers back from injury and for the first time since 2012 the Argentina test was LOST.   

Lets put it mildly Meyer lost the plot completely when he selected that 2015 WC squad.  Let me exzplain to the ultra stupid on site.  A WC squad should eb selected on merit and inclusions of players who played no rugby for up to 18 months befre the series was lunacy extreme.  

Like France did to players in the coming test against Tonga most top players in the round robin stage are rested against the weaker teams.   The Springboks had 8 duds who did play in the Japan tests and were injured early and by the second tests in he series here were a further 6 unplayable players in the squad as well.   The Springbok struggled to put together a playable squad of 23 players in all tests and none of the key players were rested at all, while the real duds in the Japan tests were retained in the starting line-up.     

In fact the situation was that of the 31 players in the WC squad 8 were dud selections anyway.   Some of he 8 duds were occasionally on the bench and when they did come in - like the case  was with Matfield in the semi - he fucked up royally.                 .