Springboks’ coaching unity gives them an edge, says former Cheetahs and Bulls fly-half Kennedy Simba

Former Cheetahs and Bulls fly-half Kennedy Simba believes the close working relationship among the Springboks’ coaching staff is one of the main reasons behind their success under Rassie Erasmus.

Simba says the strength of the setup is not simply the number of experienced coaches working together, but the way they operate across traditional areas of responsibility. Rather than remaining in separate departments, the coaches are encouraged to contribute beyond their specific roles and create what he describes as a connected coaching “ecosystem”.

“I think what stands out to me is that the coaching staff, right, are so like they’re an ecosystem,” Simba said on theSias du Plessis podcast.

“And it’s interesting because they are able to move into each other’s areas without having a silo that I’m just doing this, I’m just doing this, and if this is going well, lekka for me.”

For Simba, that absence of rigid boundaries has become an important feature of the Springboks’ approach. He believes the coaches’ willingness to share ideas and move between different aspects of the game allows the team to remain adaptable.

“So I think they intertwine, so you will get Tony [Brown] who goes into attack and defence and this, and they move around, which is for me such a key element.”

The comments offer an insight into the structure behind a Springbok side that has built a reputation for tactical flexibility. The team have regularly shown an ability to adjust their plans during matches, use their replacements to influence the contest and find different routes to victory.

Simba’s assessment is that those qualities are reflected in the coaching environment created by Erasmus. With the staff working collectively rather than in isolated silos, responsibility is shared and coaches can move into areas outside their primary focus.

That approach has helped make the current Springbok setup distinctive, according to the former fly-half. The coaches’ ability to intertwine their work is seen as central to the team’s capacity to respond to changing match situations.

The Springboks will have an opportunity to strengthen their position in the Greatest Rivalry Series on Saturday when they face the prospect of taking a critical 2-1 lead in Soweto.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:10 at FNB Stadium.