Two African teams have made it through to the 20 countries playing across four pools in the final stages of the 2023 men’s Rugby World Cup: three-time champions South Africa (ranked 2nd in the world) and underdogs Namibia (ranked 21st). What are their chances and what is the state of rugby union in Africa? We asked rugby expert and coach Wilbur Kraak some burning questions.
What shape is South Africa in – can they win?
South Africa can do well for a few reasons. Key members of the coaching and support team, who helped South Africa win in the last World Cup, in 2019, are still there. And they’ve added new talent like Deon Davids for fresh ideas. They have lots of good players in different positions, so can make strong teams no matter who they choose. There are both experienced players and young talents, like Canan Moodie, Grant Williams and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Some of the players can play different positions, which is handy. It’s a team that does well when it has momentum, especially in areas like collisions and kicking. And leaders like team captain Siya Kolisi are important, particularly in tough games.
