Shaun Edwards believes the Boks are the team to beat

Popular France defence coach Shaun Edwards has outlined why, he believes, the Springboks are the strongest unit in world rugby at the moment.

Although South Africa currently rank fourth in the pecking order behind New Zealand, France and, at number one, Ireland, Edwards believes that the side they have built over the years under Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber is something to behold.

“The World Rugby Rankings are brilliant for fans, to see how their team is doing, and I know Ireland are top,” Edwards said, talking to Pundit Arena.

“But, for me, South Africa are the best team in the world because they are the reigning world champions and I think for a lot of the Autumn Nations Series, they played like world champions.”

France managed to stick one on the Boks in Marseille during the Autumn Nations Series, but were made to dig deep for victory.

“They were everything that people talk about – they were powerful and physical and probably the best in the world at mauls and scrums – but they are so much more than that,” Edwards continued. “They have got so much speed on the edges and score a lot of tries from inside their own half, so to beat them was marvellous.”