'We can have 15 injuries going into a World Cup, we've got a strong enough squad to do it again'

Double World Cup-winning Springbok Steven Kitshoff has asserted that South Africa could have 15 injuries at next year’s World Cup and still win an unprecedented third title in a row.

A Springboks squad that had seen 13 changes from the XV that started the final Test against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry narrowly lost to Australia 42-38 on Sunday, almost overturning a 42-17 second-half deficit in the final 15 minutes in Perth to come within a whisker of snatching victory with the final play of the match.

While the second-half comeback was aided by a host of regular Springboks on the bench, the starting XV was not loaded with a host of experienced players, with only Handre Pollard, Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert having over 50 caps to their name.

Following the result, former Springbok Oupa Mohojé, joining Kitshoff on his For the Love of Rugby: South Africa podcast, said that Rassie Erasmus has learned that he has “potentially two World Cup squads.”

Kitshoff went a step further and claimed that Erasmus could lose 15 players – akin to making 13 changes to your starting XV – and still defend the Webb Ellis Cup.

“I don’t think I’d panic. Look, Rassie has potentially two World Cup squads,” the former Springbok flanker said.

“So, if I was Rassie, I really wouldn’t panic. It would just to make sure that the players get used to and understand Test match rugby and take it for what it is and then work on from there.

Kitshoff added: “Also giving the guys the opportunity to catch up to the, I don’t want to say the solid starting 15, the ones we saw in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, but also giving these guys opportunities to play more often gives them the opportunity to catch up and to say, listen, it doesn’t really matter what happens, we can have 15 injuries going into the World Cup, we’ve got a strong enough squad to actually do it again.

“I think that’s a very strong position to be because we’ll probably see a lot of these guys play again towards the Nations Championship, which is amazing.”