Win Rate Arc 2016-2025
A single view of the decade's performance curve. 2020 records no Tests because of COVID. Source: SA Rugby, Grokipedia, sarugbystats.co.za SAR
Win % per year + tries scored trend
Win rate sits on the left axis and tries scored per year on the right. The 2025 try total is the third highest since 1992. SAR
Era Breakdown
Four phases explain the decade more clearly than a flat season-by-season reading.
Phase 1 | Coetzee era
Dark Years
~42%
Win rate
24
Tests
The 57-0 loss to New Zealand in 2017 marked the lowest point of the period. Allister Coetzee left after 24 Tests and 10 wins. SAR
Phase 2 | Erasmus arrives
The Rebuild
50%
Win rate '18
RWC
Won 2019
Erasmus took over in mid-2018, finished year one with seven wins from 14 Tests, and then led the side to the 2019 World Cup title against England. SAR/WIKI
Phase 3 | Post-COVID peak
Lions + RWC 2023
72%
Win rate '23
2x
World Cups
South Africa won the 2021 Lions series, retained elite-level consistency, and secured a second straight World Cup in 2023. WIKI
Phase 4 | 2024-2025
Dynasty Peak
89%
Avg '24-'25
43-10
vs NZ 2025
The side posted 84.6% in 2024 and 94% in 2025, delivered its biggest win over New Zealand, and rotated 50 players in 2025 alone. SAR/Planet Rugby
Points for vs points against per year
The 2025 scoring surge, with 764 points across 16 Tests, shows how the attack expanded beyond win rate alone. SAR
Player Profiles | 10-Year Arc
Caps per year, key moments, and role in the decade. Each player is read within position context rather than ranked against the whole squad.
Debut Tracker 2016-2025
A view of when the next generation arrived. Gold marks players who became regular starters, while grey marks players who were tried but not retained. SAR/WIKI
2025 cohort note: Erasmus used 50 players in 2025, matching the highest figure since 1997. Five new caps arrived in the July series alone, and Ethan Hooker was nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year. SAR/Planet Rugby
Top Try Scorers | Era Contribution
Career tries accumulated inside the 2016-2025 window. Tries scored before 2016 or after 2025 are excluded from the era portion. WIKI/ESPN EST
Era tries + career total for context
Grey shows career tries scored outside the era window. Green shows tries scored in the 2016-2025 period. WIKI/ESPN - era portion estimated
Reading this chart: Mapimpi debuted in 2018, so almost all his tries fall inside this era. Habana played his last Test in 2016, so only a very small portion of his 67 career tries belongs to this window. The chart is designed to show who scored in this era, not who leads on career totals.