Springboks Reveal Winning Recipe: Brutality, Passion, and Beefy Banter

As the reigning world champions prepare to face England at Twickenham, their “head of athletic performance” Andy Edwards offers a fascinating insight into the formidable force behind South Africa’s global rugby dominance.

Blending Physicality and Skill

After a decade of honing Saracens into a title-winning machine in England and Europe, Edwards joined the Springboks’ multi-national coaching staff in 2020. Now an integral part of Rassie Erasmus’ setup, he marvels at the exceptional blend of physicality, skill, and unrelenting intensity that makes the Boks so unstoppable.

“They are class guys, class operators and they welcomed me with open arms, as a foreigner,” Edwards told Mail Sport. “As athletes, there is a perception of South Africans as huge blokes with huge physicality who try to over-power opponents, and that is a big part of it because they have some massive guys in the team.”

Yet, the Springboks’ potent mix extends far beyond brute force, with a complementary array of diminutive speedsters and technical wizards providing balance and unpredictability.

“But there are also a bunch of guys who are under 80 kilos (12st 8lb). Cheslin Kolbe is under 80, Faf de Klerk is under 80, Grant Williams too. Kurt-Lee Arendse is around the 80-kilo mark,” Edwards explained.

Primal Fury and Unwavering Commitment

What sets Erasmus’ squad apart is their “primal fury” and unwavering commitment to the cause.

“What I’ve noticed with the Boks is that their intensity is through the roof and their willingness to be brutal with the physicality side of things,” said Edwards. “That is a real standout feature of how they play and that comes from the physical attributes that they have.”

This unyielding determination is fueled by a deep sense of national pride, with the team’s success intertwined with the hopes and dreams of the entire country.

“When we went into the townships, it was so powerful. You’d look over at people standing next to someone like Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am, or Bongi Mbonambi, you’d see little kids’ eyes catch their eyes and the kid would just into tears because they’d had that connection with one of the players,” Edwards recalled.

Forging Unbreakable Bonds

Forging this unbreakable bond is also aided by the Springboks’ passion for their cultural traditions, such as the weekly “braai” (wood-fired barbecue) sessions that bring the squad together.

“There is obviously a huge, huge meat focus. The braai is such a part of South African life and I’ve fully bought into it now,” Edwards said. “If you tell the guys we are going to have a braai night, it’s not, ‘Oh okay, let someone else do it’, they say, ‘No, we want to braai ourselves’. It’s a unifying thing.”

As England brace to face the juggernaut that is the current rugby world champions, Edwards is confident the Springboks will be in peak condition, both physically and mentally, to deliver their trademark “brutality and braais” at Twickenham.

🔗 Source