Springboks need to beat Wallabies to avoid another Rugby World Cup 'gravel road'

The Springboks’ shock defeat to the Wallabies saw them being knocked off their perch and slip down to third in the world rankings.

In most years, the world rankings are more about pride and something rival fans banter about. But not this year. This year, the world rankings matter more than ever.

This year, the world rankings will dictate the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw. The higher your ranking, the better chance you have of having a good or easier draw, which makes the journey to and through the playoffs a lot easier.

The Springboks have had tough draws for the last two editions of the World Cup, facing the All Blacks in their group in 2019 and Ireland in 2023. The Boks lost both matches, but ended up winning the Webb Ellis trophy despite those defeats.

Sometimes those defeats work out for the best, and sometimes they make your life really difficult.

In Japan 2019, the Springboks got lucky by ending on the side of the draw with Japan and Wales, who they beat in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

In France, however, they had to travel the so-called “gravel road” to win the cup. They squeezed out three one-point victories in the quarter-finals against France, England in the semi-finals, and the All Blacks in the final.

The 2027 World Cup draw is set to be concluded later this year, and it’s something the Springboks are definitely aware of. In fact, it’s been something they have been discussing since getting together at the start of the year.

Before last weekend, the Springboks were on an eight-game winning streak, which saw them top the rankings. That defeat saw them crash down to third.

So, it’s pretty clear that the Boks are playing for more than pride and Rugby Championship points this weekend.

“We spoke about it, even before the season started, that at the end of the season there's going to be a draw for the World Cup,” said assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.

“It's in our heads, and we always make sure that we understand it, because, as you can see now, every game will count. So it's very important for us to make sure that we bounce back and get back into that winning streak again.

“Besides the world rankings, we know how much pride we have when it comes to performing for the country. So the key thing for us is to make sure that we keep on making our people in South Africa proud.”