FINDING PURPOSE: Boks drew on deep well of resolve and perspective to fuel another victorious moment

{JSON.stringify(article.attachments[0], null, 2)} --> The Springboks lead the Greatest Rivalry series 2-1 after winning the third Test 29-24 thanks to their ability to find a narrative to mentally lift themselves.

Reaching the top of the game is one thing, staying there is another proposition altogether and the Springboks must keep finding ways to fuel their drive to stay at the summit of rugby.

There are proven ways of doing this such as refreshing the playing squad, bringing in new coaches with new ideas and creating new goals.

The Boks have done all these things since winning Rugby World Cup 2023, just as they did that after winning Rugby World Cup 2019.

And they’ve worked as gameplans have evolved and the quality of the playing group has deepened through constant tweaking.

All these aspects matter over a medium and long-term outlook, measured over months and years.

But when it comes to winning crucial one-off matches, such as Saturday’s third Test against the All Blacks in the Greatest Rivalry series, the difference is often down to something more intangible than a gameplan and a long-term strategy.

Rugby, perhaps more than any other sport, is always an internal battle between head and heart. It’s a game of such physicality and raw, ruthless power that it requires a unique physical courage to compete at any level, but especially at the top end of the sport.

Every collision has the potential to end a career, or worse. And there are upwards of 200 collisions per game, placing unique demands on the body and mind.

Professional players must constantly strike a balance between playing with emotion, by producing extraordinary physical feats through sheer willpower, while also carrying out tactics in a calm and calculated way in the middle of the mayhem.

And often, in tight games when the technical difference between the teams is marginal, it comes down to mining just a little deeper into that internal well of resolve.

There has been almost nothing to choose between the Boks and All Blacks in this series. They have contrasting styles of play, but in terms of the scoreboard it has been tight.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is a master at directing the players’ thoughts inward, to find their purpose beyond being good rugby players.

In 2019 it was personal – about each player producing his best to acknowledge where he had come from and those who had helped him reach that point. It resonated with the players. It gave them a greater sense of purpose.