SPRINGBOKS’ Stronger Together
A few years ago Steve Hansen ill-advisedly waded into the divisive topic of transforming the Springbok side.
Having no doubt gleaned some insights on the subject from his great mate Heyneke Meyer, the Springboks’ former coach, Hansen was of the view that South Africa was the “only team in sport that doesn’t pick its best team” when interviewed for the book The Jersey: The Secrets Behind the World’s Most Successful Team.
“I understand what they are trying to do,” Sir Steve warmed to his task. “Nelson Mandela understood it better than anyone else. He knew that the Springboks were a team that could unite the nation.
“I still believe it is … if they got things right and allowed it to develop naturally. Rugby wasn’t a black man’s sport, but it was the sport that would unify the country in a way that no other sport or business could.
“As a nation, it has got such a lively history and it has created a whole lot of things we will never understand because
