Springboks in 'good position' ahead of Rugby World Cup draw

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are in “a good position” ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw.

The draw is set to take place in Sydney this December and the Boks are currently sitting pretty at the top of the World Rugby Men’s rankings.

Erasmus was speaking after his side edged Argentina 29-27 in a tense finale to the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at Twickenham on Saturday — a result that secured the Boks back-to-back titles for the first time.

“I’m satisfied with the result and winning the Castle Lager Rugby Championship back-to-back,” Erasmus said. “This was a massive game for us, and although it was a far from perfect performance, I would prefer to see us learn while we are winning than losing.”

“We are still in a good position for the Rugby World Cup draw, but there is no doubt we have five tough matches ahead, and there is a lot of work ahead for us.

“The reality is that Argentina defeated Australia, New Zealand, and the British & Irish Lions, so we’ll celebrate tonight and take that positive from this match.”

The Springboks fought back from 13-3 down in the first half to lead 15-13 shortly after the break, before surviving a fierce Pumas rally in the closing minutes.

Erasmus admitted the match was every bit as bruising as expected. “We knew it would be tough and at halftime you could see the guys were tired, but at the same time Argentina played well,” he said.

Despite the imperfections, the back-to-back title marks another step forward for South Africa as Erasmus looks to refine his squad ahead of November’s demanding tour — and with the World Cup draw looming, he’s keeping one eye firmly on the bigger picture.

“They played a loose game, and we got a yellow card in the first half, while there were also a few close calls that could have changed the game. But they definitely showed massive fight and that they can really take things to the gutters.”