Former All Blacks boss Steve Hansen takes aim at Springboks fans with harsh reminder
Reminder.
Former All Blacks head coach Sir Steve Hansen has fired back at a Springboks supporter with a pointed reminder of New Zealand’s previous dominance over South Africa.
The Springboks have established themselves as the benchmark in international rugby under Rassie Erasmus, winning back-to-back World Cups and enjoying considerable success against their greatest rivals.
However, Hansen believes some South African supporters have short memories when it comes to the All Blacks’ achievements.
Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, the 2015 World Cup-winning coach was presented with a message from a Springboks supporter who claimed South Africa’s superior coaching structures were the key difference between the teams.
The supporter suggested that the Springboks select players for clearly defined positional roles, while New Zealand place too much emphasis on attacking ability.
Hansen initially responded with a smile.
“I think it’s great, just keep watching this space, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
However, the former All Blacks boss subsequently delivered a much sharper response.
“Passionate fans, I find, have got very short memories, and they forget that those people we were picking off the street used to beat South Africa every time we used to play them a few years ago.
“Right now, he doesn’t care about that; he just cares that they’re winning right now and that’s great, and I support him wholeheartedly.”
Despite his pointed remarks, Hansen acknowledged that passionate supporters are an important part of the sport.
“That’s what makes rugby such a lovely thing, which is the fans. They get stuck in and they come up with all these theories, but the thing about a fan’s theory is it’s never tested.
“You don’t have to test it, so you can say whatever you like.”
With South Africa currently enjoying the upper hand in the rivalry, Hansen’s comments serve as a reminder that the balance of power between the two nations has shifted before.
