Kitshoff backs Springboks to win third straight World Cup even with 15 injuries

Steven Kitshoff has declared that South Africa possess the squad depth to win an unprecedented third consecutive Rugby World Cup even if they were to suffer 15 injuries before the tournament, pointing to a near-miraculous comeback against Australia as evidence of the Springboks’ extraordinary reserves.

The double World Cup-winning prop made the claim on his For the Love of Rugby: South Africa podcast after a heavily rotated Springboks side — featuring 13 changes from the XV that started the final Test against the All Blacks — came within a whisker of overturning a 42-17 second-half deficit against Australia in Perth, eventually falling 42-38 in the dying moments.

Of the starting XV that day, only Handré Pollard, Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert carried more than 50 caps, yet the side still pushed Australia to the wire. Former Springbok Oupa Mohojé, also appearing on the podcast, suggested that head coach Rassie Erasmus now knows he has “potentially two World Cup squads” at his disposal.

Kitshoff went further. “I don’t think I’d panic,” he said. “Look, Rassie has potentially two World Cup squads. So, if I was Rassie, I really wouldn’t panic. It would just be to make sure that the players get used to and understand Test match rugby and take it for what it is and then work on from there.”

He added: “It doesn’t really matter what happens — we can have 15 injuries going into the World Cup, we’ve got a strong enough squad to actually do it again. I think that’s a very strong position to be in.”

Kitshoff also highlighted the value of giving fringe players more game time, noting that increased exposure would help them close the gap on the established starters. He pointed to the upcoming Nations Championship as a likely opportunity for those players to press their claims ahead of the World Cup.