The belief that Franco Smith has tried to bed down in Scottish rugby’s most productive pipeline will face its biggest obstacle when the Springboks visit Murrayfield this evening.
Instilling belief in his players was one of Smith’s key objectives when he took the coaching reins of Glasgow Warriors in 2022.
While their burgeoning inner confidence was self-evident in their march to the United Rugby Championship (URC) trophy earlier this year, it is the challenge the Rugby World Cup holders and top-ranked Bok team will present today that will test the mental mettle of the dozen Warriors assembled in Gregor Townsend’s Scotland’s team.
Scottish rugby may have a wily and well established national coach but Smith has been a godsend. His success at the Warriors will help Scotland push borders. “It is a physical, mental and technical process,” he said.
“A lot of hard work went into creating belief. Only then will technical development take you to a different level. Our journey over the last two and a half years was to establish ourselves, then win consecutive games, reach finals, the use of the whole squad.
“Gradually we’ve grown that competence. We’ve used 37 players in six games. That way, you give your Test players enough game time but not overplay them. At the same time, you bring the next generation through in a very competitive competition.”
Smith said Scotland’s coaches would have identified most of the players for the 2027 World Cup. “I feel the strides the players and the coaching group have made in the last 16, 17 months is going to influence the Scottish rugby player’s programme beyond 2027.”
What will come into immediate focus, however, is what progress Scotland have made since they met the Springboks at the start of last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Many anticipate Scotland to fire more shots than they did on that balmy afternoon in Marseille. “I’d like to think so from a Scotland rugby perspective,” said Smith.
“That underlines that the work you’re trying to do has taken things to the next level. I think playing at home in front of the Scottish fans is a very important ingredient. Most of the team I coach have had some big wins away from home, and it will be good to play in front of their own fans. Any sell-out game is special, and to sing Flower of Scotland in that atmosphere will definitely bring a little bit more from them.”
Smith then turned to the team he represented in nine Tests. “But South Africa is playing well at the moment. As a collective, they played very well against Argentina in all aspects of the game. It was a good set piece performance, and it was good defensively. Their attack was second to none.
It is the biggest challenge in world rugby right now. They’ve played different teams, and have showed their depth is so strong they still put out quality performances
— Gregor Townsend, Scotland coach on playing against the Boks
“They spent a week in camp to get best prepared, while Scotland went the other way by playing a game against Fiji. I’m looking forward to see how those two aspects weigh up against each other,” said the always curious Smith.
Why the Boks chose Jersey in the Channel Islands as the base before completing their preparations in Edinburgh is now clearer. Well out of sight, head coach Rassie Erasmus could hatch a plan with which to catch Scotland cold with a team selection that was more difficult to predict than the exact location of the Loch Ness Monster.
In some ways it is a team of fantasy, but such is the depth of Erasmus’ player reservoir.
If the Boks pull off a win with their regular captain Siya Kolisi, most influential player Pieter-Steph du Toit, and just one back on the bench, Grant Williams, it will be nothing short of a tour de force at the start of their northern hemisphere odyssey.
Erasmus might not have been as liberal in his exploration of squad depth for last year’s RWC opener, but he has earned the right to test the elasticity of his playing group.
Erasmus and his at times chaotic ways has the rest of the rugby world on notice. “It is the biggest challenge in world rugby right now,” said Townsend.
“They’ve played different teams, and have showed their depth is so strong they still put out quality performances.”
It is the Boks’ seven/one bench split favouring the forwards that has perhaps left the biggest chill. “When you think of the Springboks, you think of physicality,” said Townsend.
“When we come up against it, we’ll have to match it. It will come in the ball carries, defence, set piece but there is an extra dimension to the Springboks. They’re very innovative in their set piece plays and are moving the ball wide and at pace. They have some very talented and dynamic players in their team.”
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