'You do realise you can only pick 23': Ex-All Black questions importance of Springboks' depth

The next 23 might not be the quality of the first 23. But they are familiar with the system and the team culture. Thats huge in a sport with such high attrition rates.

Sounds like those who comment on The Breakdown are breaking down themselves. JK at least sees much better having spent time with Victor Matfield. Mils seems to chat which is fine, I dont really listen to him. I will say though when Stephen “Beav” Donald makes comments he tends to be one-sided as well.

I really hope they become a bit more like JK, who in my opinion, handled the RGR really well. Particularly with VM kinda in his face. What a lad.

SOUR GRAPES.

NZ Rugby as a whole is WAY behind the rest of TOP rugby nations

In terms of players who can improve the team put out during the last 3 matches it is likely RG and Kwagga.

The question is of course what happens when your first and second choice are injured; that is where depth way beyond the 23 is important, as well as how big the gap is.

We have seen that the players who were not part of the last 3 tests have been able to beat Scotland and to a degree Argentina. That allows your top players to rest, especially those who are aging. Those players are being groomed to take over once it is required, and that number is far higher than 23.

Lol, wilson should never become a coach.

I remember Jeff Wilson as the man saying “is that all you have, is that all you have” after the Boks thrashed NZ 35-7 at Twickenham just before RWC 2023.

He is still as ignorant as ever.

To truly understand how much player depth matters just look at the All Black wing stocks. In the space of 1 or 2 years they have been reduced to Moorby and Carter as a choice to partner Jordan. These are good players but had they retained some of the wingers that left then maybe those 2 missed tackles from Carter doesnt happen in the series

Goldie spewing similar bile like after the 35-7 loss to the Boks at Twickenham in 2023….does he ever learn🙄

Wilson has missed the point.

I watched this episode of the breakdown. The question was: have the Boks hit their ceiling? While Kevin Putt was trying to unpack the question, JW made the remark that you can only have 23 players on any given day, and therefore they are close to their ceiling because the 23 they put out are thier best. Everyone can see how asinine this comment is given the interesting discussion that could’ve happened instead had he been able to see past his resentment that the Boks are better than the ABs right now.

He has decided that a ceiling is only determined by the quality of players you have in your first-choice 23. Nothing more.

Meanwhile, coaches, tactics, player longevity and knowledge transfer (which relates directly to depth and being able to rotate and rest), variety of available talent, length of domination and resulting culture, all these things (and more) are worth considering.

But not for young Jeff. For him, the Boks can’t get better. Even though their creative attack play from outside the 22 isn’t as good as it could be. Even though their phase play can be a bit predictable. Even though they have at least three flyhalves of international quality with hugely different skill sets. Even though they have young coaches coming through who might have new, evolutionary ideas. Even though their URC teams still seem to be playing below par. Eish.

Jeff Wilson is normally a very sensible (although often overly dramatic) person, but this time he’s really spoiled his reputation. To suggest that there’s no value in having squad depth is an absurd comment. Only a real idiot would utter such nonsense.

Wilson wasn’t really as outrageous as everyone is carrying on in this thread. The only things that he really suggested that were not correct are:

1) Springboks have hit their ceiling

2) The new springbok talent is not as good as current players.

Jeff Wilson was a great player and a passionate All Black supporter, it is obviously frustrating for a guy like him to see the All Blacks perform over the last few years, in the way that they have. They are still a very good team. If they select the right squad they can still beat anyone at any time. Cut the dude some slack, nobody likes to see their team loose.

I thought it was 33 players in the group, 23 per match. Not sure where Wilson got his info, except if they've changed it again, which I doubt.

I remember someone once commented that the sum total of Jeff Wilson’s brains can be located in his calf muscle.

This made me think of that.

Wilson knows nothing about South African rugby and was the same bloke predicting an ABs 4-0 series sweep so take whatever he says with a pinch of salt.

The Springboks are nowhere near their ceiling and there is no comparison between then and some bygone era ABs team.

Problem for everybody is not this current team, its then next breed of players comming through the SA system that you should be concerned about.

the Springboks can only have 23 players on the field

Is he just pretending he doesn’t understand?

NZ used four fly-halves to win the 2011 RWC. I guess he didn’t notice that.

Rassie wants injury cover, horses for courses, competition for places, rotation to manage game time, and a succession plan in every position. He also wants mentoring of the young guns by the older culture-carriers. How can anyone fail to see the value?

And btw … you can only have 15 players on the field.

Sometimes rugby commentary can be so utterly vapid.

Rassie is not just thinking about this world cup. He is also thinking about 2031.

This is the standard of commentary we have in NZ. Completely and utterly delusional.

Don’t start ask questions about the balance in the playing style and the accompanying selections after a three to one loss. Don’t point out the lack of some of the basic skills required for test rugby.

Just repeat the same idiotic mantra, that playing “All Black rugby” will win a World Cup, when it never has.

1987 was won because the ABs had easily the best forwards and 10.

Same with 2015, as the KO game with SA showed, the only one they could have lost. Watch the last 20 or so minutes. SA get close, ABs dominate in fowards, game over.

ABs won in 2011 despite being crushed in the forwards in the 2nd half, but purely through defence. Certainly not attack, which disappeared, as it always does in RWC finals.

Just keep on trying to give the ball to Jonah, Goldie.

Jeff Wilson was a wonder to watch as a player; unfortunately his commentary is not as liberating.

Big tournaments are won by the squad, not by the team on any given day. Case in point, Ardie Savea’s injury in the RGR series. The ABs had no-one of his calibre to bring into the fourth match and the gap was telling. You need the strength in depth to get you through.

I’m excited about the young talent coming through: Riley Norton, Paul de Villiers, SFM, Haashim Pead, Yaqeen Ahmed are all ballers. The greats of the game will always be a loss but if we manage this right over the next few years there’s no reason we can’t get better.

This is the same Jeff Wilson that kept saying “we are better than them” and predicted the AB’s would win 4-0. He has very little credibility,especially after his combative performance filled with passive-aggression on this weeks Breakdown episode.

The bloke is clutching at straws!!!

He is definitely not in any position to comment on talent available to the Boks - he doesn’t know the SA players apart from a brief period in SA recently….is he just rolled out to get NZ clicks or viewership up through irrational comments????

Injured Springbok players that did not play in RGR:

RG Snyman

Kwagga Smith

Frans Marlherbe

Bongi Mbonambi

Other:

Faf De Klerk

Juarno Augustus