I’m sure Caelen Doris agrees.
I’m sure Caelen Doris agrees.
What does Michael Hooper know?
All the Aussies are talking the Boks up right now….because we are formidable certainly, but right now it feels better to be thrashed by ‘a great team’. So that’s the talking point they are all repeating…standard deflection.
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Michael Hooper: ‘We are in the middle of genuine Springboks dominance, they are leaders in World Rugby’
Michael Hooper has spoken glowingly about the Springboks.
Former Australia captain Michael Hooper believes that the Springboks are currently at the “peak of their powers” following their demolition job of Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
Hooper, who recently retired from Australian rugby, spoke glowingly of South Africa after their 33-7 victory over his former side
The ex-flanker says that South Africa is a ‘seriously good side’ and highlighted his commentary gaffe during the broadcast of the Rugby Championship clash.
Springboks’ dominance
While Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies were comfortably swept aside in the tournament opener, Hooper believes that Australia did get their tactics right but not their execution and were overpowered by the Boks.
“The strategy from Australia was right but the execution was poor, which compounded the issues and that snowball effect runs down the hill – it was tough viewing,” Hooper said on Stan Sports’ Between Two Posts podcast.
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“But we are in the middle of genuine dominance from the Springboks.
“They won the 2019 World Cup but the way in which they won the last World Cup, they are the leaders in World Rugby and the fans are getting behind them.”
The Wallabies great was also massively impressed by rising star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and the influence that former All Blacks fly-half Tony Brown is having on the team.
“We are seeing a South African team at the peak of their powers, they have won two World Cups and they are just amazing,” he added.
“All the same guys are back and they have Tony Brown on board connecting some nice things. Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a great player, it’s pretty good stuff.”
Greatest Springboks team?
Hooper’s comments on the Springboks sparked the debate amongst the panel about whether this is the greatest South African team of all-time.
“I cannot remember the level of depth that they have right now – it’s insane. They have got Kurt-Lee [Arendse] and Cheslin [Kolbe] on the wings and I mean how good was Arendse, you just can’t get a hand on him,” gushed commentator Sean Maloney.
“Kolbe is in at scrum-half, then at fly-half, then he is at hooker and then he is reffing and coaching, he is absolutely everywhere. The size of that squad too, I don’t see where any weaknesses lie in that matchday squad and maybe the next ten guys down as well.”
Ex-Wallaby Stephen Hoiles was asked if it is the greatest Bok team ever, he replied: “If they maintain this sort of dominance but we will see at the end of the season, but yes.”
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The little things
Hooper laughed off his comment in the first quarter of the match where he stated that the Springboks would ‘gas out’ but was uber impressed at the side’s attitude and how they proved him wrong.
“They just kept on coming, towards the end of the game humming and moving along and then they are just jogging back to halfway after they score points,” he added.
“This is a serious outfit in all senses.”
He added: “In the stoppages of play – when everyone is at home watching the replay – but for a team that has just won two World Cups and they score a try then everyone in their team is jogging back to halfway.
“Now if we are talking about a team at the bottom, you are probably not thinking anything of it but seeing a team that has just won two World Cups, their first year after the second one, you’d think they would be a bit blasé about it this stuff but it’s the little things like that.
“They also did a lap of the field after the game and straight into the changeroom, they didn’t linger. It was really interesting and cool to watch.”