South Africa - Only a fool would write these giants off! A RWC special....

The South African Rugby team, aka the "springboks, are a team of nightmares. We all know that rugby players are big, but these guys are monsters.... Not only are they monsters but they've got a bit of a reputation as bully-boys and love to throw thier weight around.

They've even got a guy, nicknamed "the beast"!!

This ⬆️ is the SA front row forward (prop) called Tendai Mtawarira(the beast). Where as most props look like this⬇️:

Tendai Mtawarira has bigger muscles than a body builder, the speed of a 100m sprinter and the skills set of really skilled, skilled person.... Anyway, he's not even their biggest player or the best, so you get my point?

South Africa have been on a bit of a decline since the last World Cup in 2015. After the surprising loss to Japan in the pool stages, they did go on to finish 3rd. Since then their firm has not been, shall we say, up to the standards they expect.

They sacked their previous manager after the RWC in 2015 and then sacked his predecessor! Things were looking bad for the BOKS.... Then along came new coach Rassie Erasmus and has dragged them from floundering previous 2 times world champions, back to potential world beaters.

For a more I depth review, check out SQUIDGERUGBYs video on all things South African Rugby.

ARE WE LOOKING AT THE NEW CHAMPIONS?

You can never be 100% certain of anything. Things always have a way of not following "the plan". But I do feel that this year is the year SA reclaim the WEB ELLIS trophy.

South Africa find them selve in the pool with reigning and 3 times world champions New Zealand. They play each other in the first match of that pool on Saturday.

I can actually see NZ winning all 5 games in that pool and leaving SA as the runners up, and progressing as second placed team.

This should see them play a quarterfinals match again Ireland. The Irish have never made it past the QF stages of any world Cup and I can't see them matching SA for power. This should see SA face off against a familiar southern hemisphere side, Australia. That semifinal match could go either way, but I favour the BOKS to progress to the finals. There they should meet their old pool rivals New Zealand again, but I think the reverse of their earlier encounter will occur and SOUTH AFRICA will walk off as world champions and prevent NZ from winning back-to-back-to-back trophies.

With under 24hours to go till the first match in the Rugby World Cup kicks off, if I were a betting man I'd put a few quid on SA winning.