Fate has a beautiful gift coming for Rassie and the Boks

Somewhere in New Z a devastated mum is tooting into her hanky

Wish upon a star, you diss-ass-star

HAHAHAHAHAHA THIS IS BRILLIANT!!! TRUEST ARTICLE EVER WRITTEN

He clearly has no idea of the South Africa psyche. One would almost think that he is a South Africa “plant”. As a Saffa we not have asked for a more timeously article. Perhaps a little early but will still do the trick.

And oh yes, Ben most likely didn't get any Christmas presents hence the tirade.

Must be a bitter pill to swallow when you become irrelevant

This is what happens to people when their country and team drop from the world rankings.

The relationship between South African rugby supporters and the New Zealand All Black community has long been characterised by admiration and mutual respect. South Africans endured many years on the receiving end during the All Blacks’ golden era, and since 2019 the balance has shifted. For the most part, this has been accompanied by good-natured banter and, notably, by South Africans cautioning against ever writing off the All Blacks. One truth is universally understood: the All Blacks are never to be underestimated.

I have consistently held the New Zealand rugby public in high regard. Their support culture has traditionally been fair, magnanimous in victory, and gracious in defeat. That reputation has been well earned over decades. However, some recent commentary from individual pundits departs from that tradition.

In this regard, ben smith’s article is disappointing—not because it is critical of the Springboks, but because of the language and framing employed. Terms such as “scammed,” “lottery Cups,” and the characterisation of South African supporters as “shallow” and “surface level” move beyond analysis into disparagement. That does little to advance meaningful rugby discourse.

South Africans do not support the Springboks solely because they win World Cups. While success on the field is important, support is rooted far more deeply. The Springboks represent national unity, resilience, and aspiration. In a country with a complex history and ongoing challenges, the team offers a shared point of pride and a reminder of what collective effort can achieve. That context matters.

Robust rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand is one of the great strengths of international rugby. Honest critique, even sharp critique, is part of that rivalry and should always be welcomed. What is less helpful is commentary that dismisses the character of an entire supporter base or reduces a nation’s rugby culture to caricature.

The respect between our two rugby nations has been built over generations. Preserving that respect—especially in difficult cycles—is in the interest of both. Strong opinions are inevitable; measured analysis is preferable.

He really hates South Africa. It must be hard for him to digest that Nz are now only a normal rugby team and not even a bad one for that mind you but the game is now truely pro and the rest of the world are right up there. Does the Springboks need TB? He’s hand can be seen yes but look at the players he has to work with. Two world cups without TB and what BS fails to understand is no one is Bigger than the team, not even Rassie (the GOAT). Nz’s problems are far worse than just a head coach and if anything thinking like that of BS only makes it worse. On a side note is it not wonderful that WR leaves this guy to wright someting like this that is super disrespectful.

Some negativity coming from this article are so confusing. Your theory is great, verses reality, as bok fans we will continue supporting Rassie and this great players God currently gave us.

4 World cups pre-Tony. We happy to have him but he's still got a way to go and will need to prove his worth as his performance clause obligation outlines. Ben Smith representing everything rugby shouldn't be.

If it says Ben Smith, just skip the Tripe.

Read worthwhile journalism by anyone else but BS. Hahahahaha those initials just make me laugh.

That’s one version of events here is another version of events, doesn’t matter who the AB’s coach is the deep rooted structural problems in NZ rugby continues. The Springboks comfortably beat an AB team living in past glories from 12 years ago, Jamie Joseph is t the saviour of NZ rugby, the AB loose in the quarter finals and they are back at square one, my money is on this version

This reads less like analysis and more like grievance dressed up as inevitability.

A few points that don’t survive scrutiny:

“Lottery” World Cups. Winning seven consecutive knockout matches across two World Cups, including against hosts, No.1-ranked teams, and teams on historic winning streaks, is not a lottery. Knockout rugby is about margins. The same logic would invalidate most World Cup wins in history, including 1995 and 2011. Close games are not evidence of luck; they are evidence of pressure handling.

Selective memory about 2015. The 2015 All Blacks were phenomenal, but they also benefited from a uniquely settled generation, home-hemisphere familiarity, and an unprecedented talent overlap. That doesn’t make every other achievement a “Temu version”. Rugby eras aren’t directly interchangeable, especially across law changes, player welfare rules, and global parity that is objectively tighter now than in 2015.

“Did nothing between 2019–2023”. This conveniently ignores a global pandemic, a 20-month exile without home tests, a British & Irish Lions series win, a Rugby Championship, and an end-of-year tour dominance. If that’s “doing nothing”, then the bar is being set retroactively to fit a narrative.

Peaking too early? This argument contradicts itself. Either the Springboks are only now the “real deal”, or they were lucky impostors before. You can’t claim both simultaneously. Sustained competitiveness over an eight-year cycle suggests systems, not fortune.

Experience vs youth. The idea that young Bok players “haven’t been tested when it counts” is simply false. Many of them have already played and won knockouts, finals, and deciders under maximal pressure. Conversely, dismissing veteran value as inevitable decline ignores how modern Bok selection is brutally form-driven, not sentimental.

Fans and identity. The jab at “bandwagon fans” feels unnecessary and revealing. Springbok support has survived administration collapse, isolation, losing seasons, and political turmoil. If anything, the team’s strength has been forged because of adversity, not in spite of it.

Inevitable NZ/Aus restoration. Rugby history isn’t destiny. The “rightful place” argument belongs in the amateur era. The Springboks have beaten New Zealand consistently in recent seasons, home and away, with multiple coaches and squads. That’s not a blip.

This article assumes fate operates on vibes rather than evidence. Rugby World Cups aren’t morality tales where hubris must be punished on schedule. They’re decided by preparation, depth, adaptability, and nerve. On those metrics, South Africa has been elite for years, not accidentally, and not temporarily.

If 2027 goes wrong, it won’t be because the Boks were "lucky before" or "too happy now". It will be because knockout rugby is brutal and margins are thin. Anything else is just storytelling.

Strong teams don’t fear fate. They prepare for it

No one reads his articles, everyone like me only read the comments. Much more class there, except some trolls that are probably BS’s fake accounts to continue his BS attitude.

He’s been trolling us since 2018 and telling us how rubbish we are. Sorry Ben, the Boks are going to keep disappointing you lad. One day when you are old and grey you can die mumbling something about the Springboks being rubbish, but they will live on as Champions and you’ll be forgotten very soon.

Well done Ben! You’ve finally found your niche! Your comedy still needs some work but that was a good joke

Rassie on his own podcast did say that Tony Brown had ambitions to be the NZ head coach one day..I think the risk of accepting any offer now is too high ….As they say timing is everything . Time is not right . Maybe post 2027 World Cup ..

I am confused. Rugby Pass is owned by World Rugby. Would they allow this type of content on beloved England, Ireland, France or New Zealand. Maybe I miss those articles? Nope sorry they dont exist.

Stop it Ben, you wind them up and then we have to deal with them on social media…

Aah Bennie boy….you forget, the 1987 WC must rank as the most hollow ever….in fact it could very well be 5 WC’s to the Boks and 2 to the AB’s if we go on form. The Springboks proved no WC without them has any credbility.

Ben, I love your sense of humour… but sheesh, bro, calm down. Nobody for one minute is suggesting the Boks are better than the ABs of 2011-15. This current team is the greatest Springbok team ever, but not the GOAT of teams. I’ve said it before - to compete with NZ 2011-15, the Boks need to dominate for 5 straight years. We’ve now done three (2023-25 with 35 wins, 6 losses, 85% win rate, 2 x RCs, 1 x WC.) If the Boks can dominate 2026 (incl. defeating the ABs 3-1 or 4-0) and defend the RWC in 2027, then we’ll talk. In the mean time, Ben, take a chill pill and calm the farm, mate.

This article is just what the Springboks need, a reality check. I was just reading a start last night that the longest the SB have ever gone holding the number 1 ranking is, 11 games. I think the All Blacks top streak sat at 128 games or the like.

Great work poking the bear Ben… I don’t think Rassie needed too much of a prod but certainly some of their fans do. Their time is now.

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus is chuffed that his new attack guru, Tony Brown, is staying put in South Africa until the 2027 Rugby World Cup

The All Blacks officially have a mole inside the Springbok camp, the inner sanctum. This is great news.

All this boyfriend talk. Have you got a crush on Rassie, BS? Explains a lot.

This article is really weird, sounds like someone who is really bitter.

I hope Bend Smith aka BullShit goes to RSA for the greatest rivalry tour and gets introduced to the night life of Soweto!

Shame… this clown Ben Smith is a “Temu” Rugby journalist, South Africans support a strong all blacks outfit, we thrive on that rivalry. I hope the All black find their feet and I hope they get back to their best.

Worry less about the Boks & write about “inspirational” senior player, Ardie Savea who is said to have been the driving force in the Razor axing??

2015 is LONG GONE bro & so are ALL those All Blacks.

You are so worried about South Africa failing, you are not seeing NZ RUGBY failing. There is absolutely NOTHING coming through the ranks like we saw from 2012 - 2016?

Don’t worry too much about the Boks. Stay focued on the All Blacks.

Dear RugbyPass - your association with a troll like Ben Smith greatly diminishes your credibility as a rugby platform. Are a few extra clicks really worth sullying your reputation like this?

This is just sad really…

What a rant from a little man who waits around for crumbs trying to be noticed going after successful people. You are a failure, sitting at the only little rickety table you own, writing nonsense as usual. Every word, every prediction, every rant, nothing helped to make you relevant. Wrong in everything. It's why you are writing for Rugby pass. As useless and worthless as world rugby. You spew BS, they try and change laws. The Boks adjust the quickest of all teams and turns law changes into winning game tactics. That makes people like you sour and woke. You are a male simp, a weakling. A wannabe man. Just stop it. Realise that you are a failure, always will be.

I feel the need to post this every now and again on BS articles (his initials are such a coincidence aren’t they)

Ben Smith is a professional troll, don’t take the bait. He doesn’t speak for any NZer with an IQ over 80 either, most of us are embarrassed by him

What a load of nonsense, I am an England fan, with no skin in this SA/NZ rivalry positioning, this article is complete rubbish, worst thing I have read on RugbyPass and that is saying something.

Article reads like a Donald Trump press statement

This article reads like one from a disgruntled fan rather than a serious rugby writer or editor. Its from a man who clearly bleeds black and cant stand the fact that the men in green are on top in the rivalry for once. This is from a writer who has made outlandish claims about how the springboks are terrible and dont deserve anything they have won. over the last few years he has claimed that the Boks house of cards would come crumbling down at every challenge and he has seen them rise above those challenges at every turn much to his own horror. This very same writer said that if the Boks won in 2023 and beat every world class team standing in their way it would be the greatest world cup win. He has since backtracked when they won calling a run to the cup against every top six nation at the time luck. Its utterly delusional journalism and now we have this article which reads like a wish list for the future with the All Blacks plotting the Bok demise as they fall from number 1. Reading stuff like this is a serious discredit to this site.

Oh, bless their hearts over in New Zealand. It’s truly touching to see that the writer has finally reached the Delusional Grief stage of mourning their lost dominance.

Here is a South African perspective on this masterpiece of Kiwi Copium:

Apparently, Rassie posting memes of Tony Brown makes him an insecure boyfriend. That’s rich coming from a country whose rugby union is currently acting like an ex who stalks your Instagram just to comment, I was actually better looking in 2015 anyway. We get it, it’s hard seeing your favorite coach (Tony) and your favorite trophy (Webb Ellis) move to a sunny apartment in Pretoria. 

I love the logic, winning one-point games isn't composure or clutch execution, it’s a lottery. I guess we should just tell the boys to stop training and just buy Powerball tickets instead. If winning three consecutive knockout games by a single point is luck, then Rassie should probably head to Sun City right now, he’d own the casino by Tuesday.

Calling the back-to-back World Champions the Temu version of the 2015 All Blacks is peak comedy. It’s like a guy driving a 2015 Ferrari that’s currently up on blocks in the garage, shouting at a guy in a 2026 4x4 that his car is too mainstream. We’ll take our hollow gold medals, thanks, they still weigh the same as the premium ones.

The author claims the Boks will be sent packing by the traditional owners of SA rugby (NZ and Australia). We haven't seen a traditional ownership claim this outdated since the invention of the internet. If the All Blacks are the owners, they’ve been pretty hands-off landlords lately, they haven't checked on the property in years, and the locks have definitely been changed.

The author is so desperate for us to lose that he’s invented a future where we’re too good to win. It’s the ultimate participation trophy argument: You guys are actually the best team now, which is why you're definitely going to lose to a team that is currently in a 'sick cultural state.'

It’s a lovely bit of fiction. If you want to keep up with the latest in New Zealand’s creative writing department, check out the All Blacks official site for more tales of the dawn is coming.

Meanwhile, we’ll be over here in 2026, still polishing the trophies and enjoying the Temu sunset. Cheers! 🇿🇦🏆🏆🏆🏆

Rugby’s equivalent of Ben Shapiro, yap yap yap.

Be Smith - what a loser - what I really want to know though is…what happened? Are you struggling to get over a romantic rejection by a big burly Afrikaner? Because this anti Bok obsession is akin to the rage from a jilted lover.

Common trend that follows many politicians in my country. Blinded by hatred to the point of stupidity. Worst attempt by Ben Smith yet. This is becoming worse and worse, comical. How RP can post this is beyond me🤦

Greetings from Africa.

Ben Smith, this much bullshit hasn’t come out of a bull’s asshole. Go watch the Squidge Rugby video’s on how the Springboks won each game in the world cup, and you’ll see that it wasn’t a fluke. Also, you can say the same stuff about the All Blacks and their wins. They won with one point in the 2011 final against France, scoring one try. They only won with 2 points against a weak Springbok side in 2015. And again, the Springboks destroyed an England side that destroyed the All Blacks in 2019. Also, the All Blacks never won the Rugby Championship in the same year they won the World Cup. The springboks have done that. I rest my case

Ben Smith contributing his fair share of rot

Ben Smith must hate sharing a name with this bloke

Ben Smith writing fan fiction again. Calling back-to-back World Cups “lottery wins” while predicting futures like a horoscope. Rassie’s got trophies, Tony Brown’s got a contract, and the Boks have the Cups. This isn’t analysis — it’s grief, typed slowly, from a country watching the power shift and pretending it’s temporary.

Brought to you by the hateful New Zealand scribe Ben Smith!