Ken Borland

In the wake of a triumphant 2024 following on from their 2023 World Cup victory, Ken Borland spoke to some of the finest men to have ever pulled on the Springbok jersey and asked them one question: Is the current class of Springboks (2019-2024) the greatest Springbok team ever?

They were all at Sun City playing golf and giving back in support of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation and the fundraising effort for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School, which was the late Vivienne’s passion since its establishment in 1990 for the children of farmworkers on their Lanseria estate.

All these former Springbok stars pointed to the achievement of winning back-to-back World Cups and the incredible strength in depth that coach Rassie Erasmus has cultivated for himself as being key factors in determining that this team is the greatest to represent South Africa.

Naas Botha

“By repeating in 2023 what they did in 2019 and winning the World Cup again, they did something that nobody can ever take away from them. No matter how you analyse it, they are the first South African team to do that. So who do you compare them to?

“You can’t really compare different eras and the 1980s were totally different to 2024. I played in some really good Springbok teams like the 1981 one that went to New Zealand was fantastic and the 1986 side that played the New Zealand Cavaliers. Then we have the Jake White and Francois Pienaar teams that won World Cups.

“But it’s absolutely amazing what Rassie Erasmus and his squad have achieved and you have to give them that credit. We now know who has progressed after the 2023 World Cup, it’s clear where New Zealand, England, Ireland and France are. You can’t compare this Springbok team to any of their rivals because we know the pool of players they have is frightening.

“One win does not make a great team, a magic moment does not make a great team. But magic season after season after season makes a great team.”

Pat Lambie

“I would argue that Springbok rugby is in the best shape it has ever been. It’s not just their achievements – winning back-to-back World Cups and the Rugby Championship and beating the British and Irish Lions – but the depth they have created in so many positions. That’s going to stand us in good stead going into the next World Cup.

“There is healthy competition for all 23 places and it’s a mix of experience, youth and x-factor that can have a massive impact off the bench. Rassie has done an excellent job leading the young players into international rugby and everywhere you turn, there’s a player who looks like a matchwinner.”

Robbie Kempson

“It’s the most successful Springbok team ever, but for me it’s the depth that is the greatest factor in rating them as the best. The quality of individuals in key positions at Rassie’s disposal is amazing and he’s brought a lot of them through. He’s a wily old man who has managed big players for 8-12 years, it’s the same group and yet he’s getting a much higher level out of them.

“They are way better than the All Blacks teams we played against 25 years ago. They were a phenomenal side, but these Springboks now have consistency, they’re definitely a better outfit, winning two back-to-back World Cups and everything else they’ve played for. And now they’ve evolved to really stretching teams with a running game. For me, they are definitely the number one side to have played this game.”

Butch James

“I believe it’s the greatest Springbok team we’ve ever had, definitely in terms of squad depth, which is unbelievable. We didn’t even pick our best team for the matches in the United Kingdom, but they were still great teams, which shows our depth.

“I think they’ve proved it already that they are the best Springbok team ever, they don’t have to do more. It was a tough tour of the UK because of that expectation that they would win all the games, which they did, even though England had us worried.

“I’ve liked the All Blacks over the last couple of decades, but the consistency of this Springbok team stands out, especially since Rassie keeps chopping and changing the selections.”

Steven Kitshoff

“I’ve read a lot about whether this is our best team ever and there’s no doubt that Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus have really been getting things right. To win back-to-back World Cups is special, we’re performing year in, year out and the depth is feeding into the machine nicely.

“I think there’s still a long road ahead before we can call ourselves the best team ever, but we’ve definitely put our hands up as one of the best. Although there have been some amazing teams in the last couple of decades, so I think we still have a long way to go.”

The Alfred Dunhill Championship is a prestige golf tournament co-hosted by Southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour and the European Tour, held every summer at the famous Leopard Creek estate outside Malelane. The best part of covering this event is that I get to stay at River Cottage, one of the finest bed and breakfast guesthouses I have had the pleasure of frequenting.

The “River” it is named after is the famous Crocodile River on the southern border of the Kruger National Park and River Cottage is right on the riverside, with an elevated view on to South Africa’s most famous game reserve.

Apart from the spacious units, which are fully equipped for those wanting to self-cater, River Cottage also has beautiful gardens which attract a wealth of birdlife that is slightly different to that found along the river. It’s not often you find a place that combines a sense of wilderness in the pristine bushveld with such comfort.

I have a wonderful start to every day at River Cottage, getting up early to do a circuit of the gardens and the riverfront before sitting down for the sumptuous breakfast and then heading off to work at the golf.

The delicious prospect of what denizens of Kruger Park are down at the river is exciting enough, but first one wanders through the trees of the garden and past some grassy areas that the seedeaters love, collecting a host of Lowveld species. The owners of River Cottage are clearly lovers of the botanical as well, with name tags on the flora and they have planted typical bushveld trees, including even a Baobab and a Mopane, well south of their natural range.

They are not the only inhabitants of further north to be found at River Cottage. While walking along the bank overlooking the river, I became aware of a distinctive purring call coming from high in the trees on the garden side.

It’s a call that always gives me a cheesy grin because it belongs to the African Mourning Dove, one of my favourite Columbids. It is a more typical bird of the restcamps way further north in Kruger Park, such as Satara, Letaba, Mopani and Shingwedzi, with the southern edge of its range usually being north of the bottom camps like Skukuza and Lower Sabie.

African Mourning Dove do love riverine woodland and they are also very fond of Ana Trees, so perhaps it was not too surprising to see one all the way down at the Crocodile River, but it is certainly the furthest south I have ever come across this species.

The River Cottage gardens also attract Brownheaded Parrots to the taller trees and a fruiting fig tree close to the main house hid a few in the canopy, as always they were tough to see but their screeching calls gave them away.

The lapa and sun-deck next to the swimming pool are ideal spots to keep a close watch on the Crocodile River and Great White and Little Egret, Blacksmith Plover, African Jacana, Blackwinged Stilt, Grey, Squacco and Greenbacked Heron, Egyptian and Spurwinged Goose, African Pied Wagtail, Reed and Whitebreasted Cormorant, Spottedbacked and Thickbilled Weaver, Lesser Striped Swallow, Woodland, Pied and Malachite Kingfisher, African Spoonbill, Sacred Ibis, Water Dikkop, African Darter, African Fish Eagle and Natal Francolin are all usually present and easily spotted along the banks.

 

Even less common birds like the Horus Swift, Lesser Masked Weaver and Redfaced Cisticola, which pops up in the reedbeds and other riverside vegetation with its bright silky-white chest and loud, piercing call, are often seen.

Nile Crocodiles are almost always present along this stretch of river that bears their name, while Waterbuck, African Elephant and Impala are usually hanging around.

A troop of Banded Mongoose sometimes ventures down from the surrounding woodland and there is even one family living on the property, while it is always interesting watching the Nile Monitors go about their predatory business either in or around the water.

As the riverine trees thin out heading away from the water, the grass gets longer and rank and a different suite of birds can be seen.

Dusky Flycatcher, Orangebreasted Bush Shrike, Paradise Flycatcher, Arrowmarked Babbler, Whitebellied and Collared Sunbird, Spectacled Weaver and Plumcoloured Starling still prefer some trees around, many of them hosting a resident Southern Tree Agama, but the more scrubby areas attract birds like Whitewinged Widow, Blue Waxbill, Bronze Mannikin, Redbilled Quelea, Yellowfronted Canary and Burchell’s Coucal.

There is probably no finer spot to enjoy the creatures of the Kruger National Park from outside the reserve.

Where is River Cottage?

Sightings List

Kurrichane Thrush

Speckled Mousebird

Dusky Flycatcher

Great White Egret

Blacksmith Plover

Striped Skink

African Jacana

Blackwinged Stilt

Grey Heron

Egyptian Goose

African Pied Wagtail

Reed Cormorant

Spottedbacked Weaver

Horus Swift

Nile Crocodile

Lesser Striped Swallow

Waterbuck

Thickbilled Weaver

Orangebreasted Bush Shrike

Woodland Kingfisher

Yellowbilled Kite

Redeyed Dove

Whitewinged Widow

Forktailed Drongo

Squacco Heron

Greenbacked Heron

African Palm Swift

Glossy Starling

Brownheaded Parrot

Banded Mongoose

Blackeyed Bulbul

Paradise Flycatcher

African Spoonbill

Sacred Ibis

Malachite Kingfisher

Water Dikkop

Laughing Dove

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Southern Tree Agama

African Elephant

Hadeda Ibis

Arrowmarked Babbler

Blue Waxbill

Whiterumped Swift

African Darter

Pied Kingfisher

Impala

Bronze Mannikin

Grey Lourie

Common Myna

African Fish Eagle

Little Egret

Lesser Masked Weaver

Redbilled Quelea

Redfaced Cisticola

Whitebellied Sunbird

Yellowfronted Canary

African Mourning Dove

Spectacled Weaver

Collared Sunbird

Burchell’s Coucal

Helmeted Guineafowl

Plumcoloured Starling

Spurwinged Goose

Nile Monitor

Natal Francolin