If South Africa wins the 2015 Rugby World Cup it would be considered the Springboks’ greatest achievement. That’s according to 2007 winning captain John Smit.

The decorated leader and current Sharks chief executive was speaking at a youth sports development gathering hosted by banking giant FNB on Thursday.

Francois Pienaar‚ the 1995 World Cup-winning captain‚ joined Smit where the pair also praised the role that the FNB Varsity Cup has played in developing young rugby talent in SA.

“If this team wins the 2015 World Cup‚ it will be South Africa’s greatest World Cup victory because the road is the toughest‚” Smit said.

South Africa are drawn in Pool B alongside Japan‚ Samoa‚ Scotland and the USA. They should top that group and move into the quarterfinals where they would face the runners-up in Pool A. It could be one of Australia‚ Wales‚ England‚ or even outsiders Fiji.

“We are lucky we are not in that group‚” Smit said with a laugh.

“The reality is that anyone of the teams from Pool A can beat us‚ or can beat the All Blacks. It’s going to be tough because once we get to the quarterfinals out of a reasonably easy group‚ to win the title‚ would be like playing three World Cup finals in a row.

“There isn’t an easy option coming out of that. Australia’s confidence is high after winning the Rugby Championship and although we know their game well we haven’t beaten them as much as we have beaten England in recent years.

“Wales beat us last year and England will be formidable because home ground advantage will be massive for them. If we win the quarterfinal we might have to play the All Blacks in a semifinal.”

Pienaar questioned whether the current squad has the ability to win the 2015 tournament starting in just under four weeks’ time‚ although he believed they had the potential to do so because the Boks thrive on pressure rugby.

“World Cup knockout games are about strategy and execution‚” Pienaar said. “Relieving pressure as quickly and as effectively as possible is vital.

“If you look at the top teams‚ within one or two moves they get out of the danger zone. On attack you have to stay unpredictable and if we can get that balance right‚ we will be in with a chance.

“Can we win the World Cup? Yes‚ we can‚ but you have to have the right team culture‚ players in form‚ the right combinations and the right leadership.

“When the knockout stages come‚ the Springboks are always a danger because we love do-or-die rugby‚ it’s just the way we are. When the chips are down our DNA likes that. The other country’s not so much so.”  “It’s not easy. But that is football,” he declared.