Boks in better place than ahead of 2019

• Kolisi says the Springbok squad is at a more advanced stage than before the last World Cup

With the Rugby World Cup five months away, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi believes SA are in a better space now than they were before they won the global showpiece in 2019 in Japan.

The 2023 World Cup is in France from September 8 to October 28. The defending champions play their opening match against fifth-ranked Scotland in Marseille on September 10. A year before Kolisi lifted the title in Japan, SA had present director of rugby Rassie Erasmus taking over the coaching reins from Allister Coetzee, who was sacked in February 2018.

This time they have had a stable build-up under head coach Jacques Nienaber, who took over from Erasmus after the 2019 World Cup and has worked closely with him.

“I think so,” Kolisi said on Wednesday, asked if he said he thought the Boks were more advanced now than ahead of Japan in 2019. The Bok captain was speaking before the Sharks’ Champions Cup round of 16 clash against Irish side Munster at Kings Park on Saturday (1.30pm).

“Our coaching staff are always helpful in letting us know where we are or if we are falling behind or where they want you to go. They are available at all times with the feedback. They are always there to say this is not good enough or this is good enough.

“Even though you’re doing everything for your club they still reach out to ask, ‘Is this good enough? ’— because they are looking at international level and not club level,” he said.

“We just had a few alignment camps and what I love about those is knowing where we are now. “[The coaches] have watched the progress of what we do and where we need to be. We measure ourselves against ourselves, but also against the best in the world.

“But I think we still have a lot to do as a team. The most important thing is for us as players to work at getting into the team because nobody is guaranteed a place.

“We don’t know what that side is going to look like. What is important now is for me not to play like I played last week. I have to be better this weekend and show I really want to get into that team.

“It’s important that when we play for our unions, we look the part and play the part.”

The fourth-ranked Springboks defend their title from a tough Pool B, where they will encounter the world’s topranked side, Ireland; fifth-placed Scotland, Tonga and Romania.

Before the World Cup, the Springboks will be involved in the Rugby Championship from July 8, where they will be tested by New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. They meet Wales, the All Blacks and Argentina in their World Cup warm-ups in August.

This weekend, Kolisi leads the Sharks’ bid to book a place in the Champions Cup quarterfinals. The Sharks will need some improvement to their performance after a poor 32-20 away defeat to Llanelli Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.