Dan Biggar offers theory for why Springboks’ player friction was ‘such a positive’ in World Cup win

Wales legend Dan Biggar believes that it is a good thing there was disagreement between some of the Springboks players during the Rugby World Cup.

It was revealed in the Chasing the Sun 2 documentary that powerhouse trio Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen and Siya Kolisi butted heads during their campaign in France.

All three were key components of the leadership group but the Etzebeth-Kolisi bond often clashed with the experienced and opinionated Vermeulen as South Africa secured their fourth world title.

Conflict over harmony

That revelation might be a surprise to some outsiders, thinking that a World Cup-winning team is a harmonious environment, but Biggar felt that their “friction” was perfect for the Boks.

“I see that as such a positive, that there’s friction between your big players and your leaders because they all want the same thing,” he told The Rugby Pod.

“They all want to raise standards, they all want to make sure that the team is lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament.”

Biggar used the Manchester United football team from 1999, who famously won the treble, as an example of a side where conflict can help.

In fact, the Wales great theorised that all dominant teams who achieve something special have that needle between a few of the team-mates.

“I read Gary Neville’s autobiography quite a long time ago and he was saying that in the great Manchester United Three or four players on the treble-winning team—Teddy Sheringham, Roy Keane, and Peter Schmeichel—did not get along with one another personally.

However, as soon as they entered a meeting room or the training field, they came together and brought so many people with them because they were so determined to win.

They just came together, putting aside their egos and forgetting about one other’s characteristics.

It appears that the Boks have three exceptional players, leaders, and personalities. Every legitimately successful team appears to contain some degree of that.

The future

The Springboks will undoubtedly make changes to their leadership group going forward, with those three players now the wrong side of 30.

After South Africa won the 2023 World Cup, Vermeulen announced his retirement, ending his playing career. He subsequently assumed a senior role in SA Rugby’s coaching systems.

In the meantime, it’s unclear if the now 32-year-old Kolisi will continue to be the captain for the upcoming four-year cycle.

Rassie Erasmus, the head coach, has also voiced concerns about Etzebeth’s prospects of qualifying for another international competition.

The enormous second-row is 32, just like Kolisi, but he has logged a ton of miles since making his Boks debut in 2012 as a 20-year-old.