It will take genius to topple Boks, says former England star

Former England flyhalf Stuart Barnes believes it will take a team inspired by a player of Ardie Savea or Antoine Dupont’s calibre to beat the Springboks at next year’s World Cup.

Writing for the UK Sunday Times after the Boks’ 3-1 series triumph over the All Blacks, Barnes highlighted the world champions’ organisation as perhaps their greatest strength heading towards the 2027 showpiece.

Barnes described Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry as an enthralling tactical contest between two contrasting teams, with New Zealand continually looking to create space out wide while South Africa attacked more directly and backed their physicality.

He also praised the individual qualities within both sides, highlighting the broken-field threat of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe, Ethan Hooker’s aerial ability and Damian de Allende’s effectiveness in consistently getting the Boks across the gainline.

But Barnes believes Savea offered New Zealand something different – the ability to break away from a carefully constructed game plan and influence a Test through individual brilliance.

The All Blacks captain played a decisive role in their first-Test victory at Ellis Park and scored twice in the third Test at FNB Stadium before dislocating his shoulder in the 31st minute, ruling him out of the remainder of the series.

“Here was the Kiwi with the head, the heart and the unique ability to depart from the plan to deadly effect,” Barnes wrote.

“It was 12-12 when he left the field in Soweto; thereafter, the series inexorably slipped away from Dave Rennie’s team, despite the excellence of Peter Lakai, Savea’s replacement.”

Barnes believes that type of individual leadership could be crucial to denying the Boks an unprecedented hat-trick of World Cup titles.

“It will take a team with individual leadership to beat the Springboks at the 2027 World Cup. Savea is the obvious example.”

The other player Barnes believes possesses that rare quality is Dupont, although he noted that the France scrumhalf has yet to rediscover his best form since suffering a cruciate ligament injury during the 2025 Six Nations.

“France have plenty of superb scrumhalves, but they need an all-time great to overturn the enthralling power, pace and, above all, organisation of the Springboks,” Barnes wrote.

“Such a player must be blessed with genius, capable of ripping up Rassie Erasmus’ game plan with ability that even the South Africa grandmaster cannot stifle.”

This story first appeared on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.