Japan head coach Eddie Jones has revealed where the Springboks are comfortably better than any other nation in the world and tabled a law tweak that can offset that advantage.
Rassie Erasmus’ men lost just twice in 2025, falling to the Wallabies at Ellis Park and the All Blacks at eden Park, but defended their Rugby Championship title.
Jones’ Brave Blossoms were one of the teams that the back-to-back world champions breezed past this year, and the experienced coach believes that the changes in the kicking laws have substantially benefited South Africa.
In 2024, World Rugby outlawed the ‘escorts’, which effectively blocked and stalled players chasing high kicks in order to give the catching player more space and time.
The change in the law means that there is a fiercer contest for the ball in the air and allows the kicking team to regain possession more frequently than before.
It has had a significant impact on the game, particularly at the international level, and Jones believes that it encourages teams to kick more than thay used to, as it is an effective way to move up the pitch with possession.
Springboks rule the air
Having reviewed the data from the November internationals, Jones revealed eye-watering statistics that the removal of the escorts has produced.
“So the latest data coming out is that the probability of catching a high ball now for the defending team in a one-on-one duel is less than 30%,” Jones said on the Rugby Unity podcast.
“So basically,the aerial contest is encouraging teams to kick high as you’ve got a high percentage of winning the ball back,which means that you can get up the field quickly by kicking.
“We’ve seen that in the November series, where South Africa absolutely dominated that area. I think they’re 50% better than any other team in the world, which is them maximising the way the game is being played now.
“But we’re actually encouraging teams to kick higher more often now. If that’s the game we want,that’s okay,but we are going to see more of that,not less of it,because we all play a copycat game,and whatever is working for triumphant teams,we will tend to copy to a large degree.”
Jones discussed the impact of the law tweak on the podcast in which World Rugby chair Brett Robinson appeared as a guest. the Japan coach tabled a way in which the law can remain intact but explained how the addition of a new rule would allow for a fairer contest.
He suggests adopting another rugby league law, denying attacking players the ability to slap the ball backwards and have to actually attempt to catch it.
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