Yesterday, the Springboks completed their final open bus victory lap through Cape Town.

After the few weeks they’ve had, I would imagine that comes as a relief, and Siya Kolisi’s arms must (almost) be tired of lifting the William Webb Ellis trophy to the sky.

In addition, I feel for their livers, and also Faf’s undies, which are now ready to head to the SA Rugby Museum.

The dust is still settling on the triumph, with the analyses of our success only now wrapping up, but it is worth turning one eye towards what comes next.

We know that coach Rassie Erasmus is stepping down, with current defence coach Jacques Nienaber the frontrunner to take over. Whilst that would ensure a degree of continuity, it’s the contracts of many of the Springbok squad that is cause for concern.

Sport24 reports:

…Erasmus, the outgoing head coach who nevertheless stays integral to Bok immediate future plans as director of rugby, is on the brink of experiencing the previously unprecedented characteristic of having less than 50 percent of his current “first XV” stationed amidst domestic franchises as a new season looms in late January…

The exodus of star names to lucrative foreign club climes has reached a point where more than half of that group – eight, to be exact – will begin 2020 outside of the Super Rugby landscape, which features all four of South Africa’s traditionally biggest-name franchises.

Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende (though the inspiring RWC midfield figure may still see some service to the Stormers late in their campaign), Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager will all now predominantly be on the books of foreign outfits.

When you factor in the retirement of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, out of the 15 that started the Rugby World Cup final, it’s just Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi for the Sharks, and captain Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Frans Malherbe and Bongi Mbonambi for the Stormers, that are now locally based.

The fact that the Stormers can count on these four, as well as prop Steven Kitshoff, will be of immense importance to new coach John Dobson, as well as Rassie, who will be based in Cape Town as part of the director of rugby role.

As Sport24’s Rob Houwing points out, at least our overseas-based Boks will do less travelling in the lead-up to the 2020 international test season, but Rassie will also be unable to check in with them as often as he usually likes to.

It will certainly present South Africa with a unique challenge, given that the 2007 World Cup-winning squad saw every single one of the starting XV in that final return home to play locally.

Given that we’re still revelling in the win, we’ll put these concerns on the back-burner for now.

[source:sport24]