After the Springboks went down 8-13 to Ireland at the 2023 World Cup in France, Rassie Erasmus dropped some ruthless bombshells.

Listen to this article 12 min Listen to this article 12 min In 2017, the Springboks looked punch-drunk as Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus watched them being overpowered by Ireland. The following year, the coaching duo took up the reins a little more than 18 months before the 2019 World Cup in Japan. And so began a journey that was to end in victory at Stade de France six years later.

Twice the Glory goes deep inside the Bok story of that historic era: the Covid disruption, Siya Kolisi's rise to the captaincy, Erasmus in hot water over that video, injury blows and the emergence of new talent as the team heads off to France.

The book also includes analysis and insights from the self-effacing Nienaber into how this team became the finest the world has seen. Read the excerpt below.

The wrath of Rassie

In a game of brute force, the Springboks went down 8-13 to Ireland in Pool B at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

What followed was a session in which Erasmus called out the players - especially Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi - for failing to impose themselves physically on the...