Well, not so fast.

There are some Springbok fans alive today who might not know… we used to lose a lot of games.

But that hasn’t really been the case in recent years.

And while the current group of Springboks might be ageing, and we could see the last of some of them in the jersey come the Rugby World Cup in 2027, there’s reason to believe that the Springboks golden era might just continue for a while longer.

This past weekend we saw Markus Müller become the youngest debutant for the Stormers, beating teammate Damian Willemse’s previous record. There’s been a lot of fanfare around young Markus, and there are big hopes for a bright future for him at the Stormers and the Boks. Don’t forget he was called up to the first Springbok alignment camp earlier this year.

But at the same time, another player has been making his first moves in the game — and that’s Zekhethelo Siyaya at the Sharks. He’s come in at fullback in their last two URC games, replacing another youngster in Luan Giliomee, who replaced another youngster in Jaco Williams.

Paul de Villiers, Imad Khan, Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, Hasheem Pead… all youngsters who have made their debuts in the last year.

As you can see, there is no shortage of talent coming through. So much so that when Rondebosch Boys’ High School’s John Neill decided to leave South Africa and take up an opportunity to join Leinster’s academy in Ireland, no one even batted an eyelid.

Former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck recently commented that the kids coming out of high school are basically pro-level players already. And if you think that’s crazy, go and check out some footage of the games being played at schoolboy level and in the Varsity Cup. The crowds put some URC turnouts to shame, and there are professional referees, coaches, facilities, and structures in place at schoolboy level.

It is quite clear that the player development pipeline in South Africa is overflowing…

As for the coaches…

Listen, Rassie is signed on with the Boks until 2031.

And after that?

There’s still Jacques Nienaber. Never mind guys like Mzwandile Stick or Duane Vermeulen, who will be well schooled in the current methods of coaching the Boks. Also, don’t be surprised if Felix Jones gets a look in one day.

And outside of that, there’s also Franco Smith at the Glasgow Warriors and Johan van Graan at Bath, who could do a job for the Boks one day.

So don’t fret, my friends… the Boks are looking good for a while longer.