Why Springboks' title defence has become so much tougher
It was the perfect set of results at that time for the Springboks, while they then benefited from the fact that both games against the All Blacks were played – and won – in South Africa.
Although the Springboks did stumble with a one-point loss to Argentina in Santiago, they finished the tournament with an emphatic 48-7 victory to clinch the Rugby Championship title for the first time in a full-round format.
Yet, by all accounts, this season's Rugby Championship is going to be a whole lot tougher, and the Springboks best be prepared.
Just a few weeks ago, many Springbok fans would have thought that victories over the Wallabies this season would once again be a virtual certainty.
However, there is simply no doubt that Australia have improved markedly since last year, with their most recent victory over the British & Irish Lions proving what an incredible job coach Joe Schmidt has done with the team at his disposal.
The Wallabies could so easily have also won the entire series if not for a controversial refereeing decision in the second Test, but there is no doubt that the Australian players would have been incredibly buoyed by their efforts against the Lions.
Suddenly, it's very clear that the Springboks will need to be at their best to avoid any surprises against a battle-hardened Wallabies side, particularly considering that Rassie Erasmus' team have yet to be really challenged so far this year after 'comfortable' games against Italy and Georgia in July.
After enjoying home-ground advantage against Australia at the start of the 2025 Rugby Championship, the Springboks will then need to navigate more challenging fixtures against arch-rivals New Zealand, who have just wrapped up a 3-0 clean-sweep over France in July.
Besides the improvements the All Blacks seem to have made over the last year, they will also be excited by the prospect of facing the Springboks at their home fortresses in Auckland and Wellington.
From there, the Springboks will welcome Argentina to Durban before finishing the tournament against the same opposition in London, where this neutral venue could add an air of unpredictability to proceedings.
All in all, it looks sure to be a far more challenging Rugby Championship for the Springboks this season, and there will be no guarantees or room for error. REMINDER OF THE REMAINING SCHEDULE FOR 2025: 16 August: vs Australia, Johannesburg. Kick off: 17:10 .
. 23 August: vs Australia, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10 .
. 6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland. Kick off: 09:05 .
. 13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington. Kick off: 09:05 .
. 27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban. Kick off: 17:10 .
. 4 October: vs Argentina, London. Kick off: 15:00 .
. 1 November: vs Japan, Brighton. Kick off: TBD.
8 November: vs France, Paris. Kick off: 22:10.
15 November: vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: 14:40
22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40.
29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10.
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