VIDEO: Why the Boks are now 'next level'
WATCH as veteran lock Eben Etzebeth explains South Africa's improved from ahead of the World Cup in Japan.
The Springboks won the Rugby Championship for the first time, after they beat Argentina 46-13 in Salta at the weekend.
It has been 10 bare years in the Bok trophy cabinet, with 2009 the last time they won a SANZAAR trophy - the Tri-Nations.
However, their unbeaten run in the abbreviated Rugby Championship - which saw them beat Australia (35-17 at Ellis Park), drew (16-all) with New Zealand in Wellington and beat Los Pumas - showed that the Boks are hitting form at the right time.
South Africa's improved form did not happen by chance.
Etzebeth said it is all part of a carefully designed blueprint.
"The buzzword in our team is 'ownership'," the 27-year-old, 78 times capped lock said.
"Everybody is responsible for his position.
"Duane [Vermeulen] is doing a great job of leading the team, but there are several players who are in charge of different aspects of the team."
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He was also full of praise for coach Rassie Erasmus and the way he runs everything, along with defence coach Jacques Nienaber and scrum coach Matt Proudfoot.
"It is a great combination that is working well at the moment,"he said of Erasmus and his influence on the team.
"The detail that he and the other coaches provide means that when we take to the field we know exactly what we should do and what is expected of us.
"The work they do off the field and the planning is 'next level'.
"We talk about that a lot as players.
"It gives us confidence when we take to the field to know what the plan is, where every players should be and what to do."
@rugby365com
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