Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus believes next year’s World Cup in Japan will be an open race.
With the Springboks currently ranked fifth in the world, Erasmus says his players realised that they need to up their game if they want to count among the favourites to take the William Webb Ellis trophy away from current holders New Zealand.
With the Boks having been ranked seventh in the world at one stage, Erasmus says: “I think sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to accept there is something wrong.
“It’s definitely not me, I think the players took responsibility and took a little bit of a reality check of where we are in world rugby.
“I know we’re still ranked No.5 or six, which is not great, but the difference between No.3 and six is much closer to what it was a year ago.
“And you can only put it down to the players accepting it and wanting to get that pride back and effort back and doing their homework really hard in terms of being well conditioned and to know the opposition and their own strengths and weaknesses.
“We didn’t have a great win record, but I think the intensity and the intent is there to try.”
Erasmus also believes Ireland’s win over the All Blacks last weekend proved that the World Cup is there for the taking.
He adds: “The World Cup is going to be an open race next year. We saw what happened between Ireland and New Zealand.
“Scotland last year almost had New Zealand, England almost had New Zealand. I really think it’s an open race. Obviously the clear favourites are New Zealand and Ireland.”
Shifting his attention to Wales, their opposition in Cardiff on Saturday, Erasmus adds: “Wales are one of those teams that are hovering there, with eight wins in a row.
“They are a team that is slowly building depth as well.
“In terms of us, if we manage to beat Wales this weekend - the only team we haven’t beaten this year that are real contenders is Ireland.
“That gives us hope, but it’s not to say it will be easy.”