Ex-England Star Courtney Lawes Says Springboks 'Operating Almost Like a Religion'

• Former England player Courtney Lawes praised Rassie Erasmus after the Springboks swept England, Scotland and Wales in the Nations Championship
• South Africa rotated 43 players across three wins, averaging over 43 points per match and conceding just 49 points in total
• Lawes made the remarks on a podcast, singling out one aspect of the Springbok setup that sets them apart from rival nations

Former England lock Courtney Lawes has described the Springboks as operating "almost like a religion" following South Africa's dominant Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, Lawes praised the culture that head coach Rassie Erasmus has built within the Springbok programme.

"Any player that comes under the fold is just completely locked in from the word go," he said.

Springboks dominant in Nations Championship

South Africa recorded three consecutive victories over England, Scotland and Wales, averaging more than 43 points per match while conceding just 49 points across all three games. Their most emphatic performance came against Wales, who failed to score a single point against the reigning World Cup holders. The depth of the squad was equally notable, with Erasmus rotating 43 players throughout the three-match run, demonstrating a level of trust in his wider group that few international sides can match.

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Cohesion built over time

Lawes credited much of the Springboks' cohesion to the continuity provided by Erasmus, saying the coach's long tenure had allowed him to build a well-drilled and unified environment that many rival teams have struggled to replicate.

According to Lawes, players who join the squad quickly understand their roles because of the clarity, organisation and structure within the Springbok setup, with Erasmus' leadership ensuring everyone is aligned from the moment they arrive.

He also highlighted how the Springbok camp appears immune to the kind of disgruntled player behaviour that has leaked from other squads.

"Could you ever imagine that coming out of the Springbok camp? Absolutely not," he said.

Lawes described the overall environment as "seamless", while cautioning that such cohesion does not materialise quickly, crediting Erasmus with cultivating it over a sustained period. South Africa return to action in August, beginning with a fixture against Argentina before facing the All Blacks four times during the Greatest Rivalry Tour. They then travel to Perth to meet the Wallabies at the end of September. Their Nations Championship campaign resumes in November with matches against Italy, France and Ireland.

Source: Briefly News