Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus is carefully managing the team's squad ahead of upcoming test matches against Argentina and New Zealand. The Springboks' victory over Wales concluded an ideal opening block of the Nations Championship and paved the way for the next stage of Erasmus's plan—integrating injured stars before the game against Argentina, after which the strongest possible lineup will be deployed to face rugby's greatest rival, New Zealand.
Following active rotation in the first three matches against England, Scotland, and Wales, Erasmus confirmed that the next step will be splitting the team before the sole test match against Argentina. One group will travel to Buenos Aires, while another will remain in South Africa to prepare for the big series against the All Blacks.
Erasmus explained that the plans might involve a week of rest for the players, after which twenty-six individuals will travel to Argentina. Fifteen or sixteen players will stay behind, some of whom will undergo rehabilitation, and they will begin training for the matches against New Zealand, accompanied by several coaches.
The approach of splitting the squad will allow Erasmus to gradually introduce several important players into the game before the series against the All Blacks, which will be led by the dynamic playmaker Siya Febenberg-Mngomezulu. The young winger is expected to return along with centre Andre Esterhuizen, and captain Siya Kolisi and lock Lud de Jager are also approaching full physical fitness.
Meanwhile, Eben Etzebeth is receiving extra time to recover from a concussion; previously, Erasmus indicated that this veteran lock was targeting participation in the matches against Argentina.
The coach of the Springboks emphasized that the initial block of matches was never just about victories, but about identifying players and combinations that can be relied upon under pressure in test games leading up to next year's World Cup. This philosophy continued against Wales, where four more players debuted, and Kobus Wiesse, Paul de Villiers, and others continued to gain experience in the colours of the 'green and gold.'
Erasmus noted that each game became slightly better, but cohesion is lost due to rotation. The victory over Wales demonstrated progress over the last three weeks, especially after identifying defensive weaknesses in the first test matches. The coach highly praised the improvements in scrummaging, out-ball play, and maul defense.
Despite satisfaction with the overall progress, Erasmus believes that the true value of the opening block lies in presenting a wider group of players in test rugby before the intensity increases to the next level in the Rugby Championship. He warned that the match against Argentina will be difficult, as their biggest defeat occurred against Argentina in 2018. Therefore, the team is focused on refining its game.
Since the matches against the All Blacks follow immediately after the games against Argentina, Erasmus's squad management indicates that the Springboks are already looking beyond their immediate opponent. With the return of Febenberg-Mngomezulu and several senior players over the next two weeks, the focus of the Springboks shifts towards New Zealand. Erasmus uses these matches not as an isolated challenge, but as an opportunity to ensure the team reaches the great confrontation in full fighting readiness and with well-established combinations.
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus intends to make further changes to the squad before the third and final mid-season Nations Cup match against Wales, which will take place in Durban this Saturday.
Following an impressive victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld last Saturday, where the world champions won 42-28 using a heavily altered lineup, the team demonstrated its power and versatility. This win also allowed the Springboks to maintain their unbeaten run at home against visiting teams.
As the Welsh team arrives on the East Coast for the third tournament match, this provides Erasmus with another opportunity to rotate players and give more game time to several athletes.
Considering Wales' heavy defeat to Argentina, the Springboks coach hinted that he might provide more playing time by resting some established stars for a week or two. The match against Wales could be an ideal opportunity for captain Siya Kolisi to get more minutes, while Pieter-Steph du Toit can deservedly rest after leading the team in the first two matches and performing excellently in his role.
Furthermore, Erasmus may consider debuting young players Jaco Williams and Wuse Moyo, who were in camp and eager for a chance. Erasmus stated that a combination of players would be used in the match against Wales to blend experience in the squad.
He mentioned including players returning to form and discussed the injury situation of Ethan Hooker. Erasmus noted that Kanan Moody might return to full fitness after being excluded from the match against Scotland, and he could be moved to position 13. He also reported the possible inclusion of Sacie Feinberg-Mngomezulu next week, as he might be ready for the match against Argentina or later against New Zealand. Additionally, Morne van den Berg is close to full physical condition, and Siya or Lud de Jager might also be ready. Thus, the team will present a mix of players recovering from injuries and ensuring more players on the field than the opponent, as they were outnumbered in players and experience against Scotland.
Although this might once again be a case of mixing and matching players in certain positions, the senior Springboks players faced the Scots again, mobilizing younger athletes to secure victory under difficult circumstances. While inexperience sometimes showed, especially in defense, the Boks' style of play, when they fought each other, highlighted how strong the team's position is. Erasmus emphasized that they have learned a lot during these matches and was pleased to continue winning while gaining valuable lessons from every test. He also noted the positive impact of the substitutes, satisfied with the pace and energy they brought off the bench, which ultimately helped the Boks finish the contest in the last 10 minutes when Scotland tried to switch to their expansive style of play.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus generated significant public interest with his very early announcement of the squad for the upcoming match against Scotland this Saturday. As always, announcements from Rassie Erasmus cause a stir, and the lineup presented for the game in Pretoria on Saturday was no exception. The coach revealed the list of players as early as noon on Monday.
Despite numerous changes to the squad, Erasmus retained a solid core of Bulls players for the fixture at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Bulls players were not included in the Barbarians match squad as they were still returning home after the United Rugby Championship final in Dublin. There are four Bulls players in the tight five and nine individuals on the bench for the match-23.
The starting trio of wingers presents an exciting mix of diverse talents. The central figure is the versatile workhorse Pieter-Steph du Toit, supported by the powerful runner Paul de Villiers and the sturdy number 8 Evan Russ. De Villiers made a strong impression in his debut against England, and Russ had a valuable chance to showcase his abilities. The addition of Vincent Tshituku, Elrig Luva, and Ben-Jason Dixon to the bench provides insight into the future of wingers in the Boks team.
There was much reaction to Papier's return to the starting lineup after playing for the Boks (and Erasmus) in 2018 when he earned all eight of his badges. However, Pollard, despite his excellent statistics with the Boks, is aware that attention is also focused on him following the unsatisfactory conclusion of the URC season with the Bulls. This veteran plays to show that he still deserves a spot in the green and gold, and Papier plays to justify his return. The combination of these two players after a year-long partnership is a brilliant move by the coach.
Luva will value his chance from the bench, as he was initially not included in the National Championship squad. The opportunity arose for him after the injury to Riley Norton. Luva debuted for the Boks in 2022 at the age of 22, but after four years, he had only a small number of badges. A major reason for this was a terrible leg injury that kept him out of play for almost a year. Luva last played for the Boks in 2024 and intends to use every second on the field at his home ground.
Damian Willemse was close to perfection at fullback against England and was Man of the Match, although an off-field error led to his teammate Damian de Allende receiving the award in front of millions of viewers. Undeniably, both Damians laughed in the dressing room. Now Willemse has the opportunity to demonstrate his skills at inside centre instead of the rested de Allende. He last played there during the Boks' victorious 43-10 match against the All Blacks in Wellington last year. The Boks do not have many players at position 12 besides Andre Esterhuizen and de Allende, so Willemse's ability to play well in this position is an important part of Erasmus's broader plan.
Despite the exciting events that took place during the Nations Championship tournament, Rassie Erasmus emphasized that the Springboks team does not intend to abandon its core playing philosophy. He explained why the team adheres to its proven style.
The first round of the debut Nations Championship concluded with an impressive number of tries: 54 touchdowns were scored in six matches as teams fought for bonus points. Nevertheless, the Springboks will maintain their approach to series matches.
Coach Rassie Erasmus noted that he witnessed 'beautiful football' at the start of the hemisphere battle. He observed that there were many thrilling moments and many games opened up. However, he pointed out that during one weekend, the team scored more touchdowns in the mauls than in the entire Six Nations tournament.
Erasmus stated that regardless of whether the teams were chasing bonus points, the main goal in a series match is to win. He added that disrespecting this principle would likely lead to defeat, and victory remains the most important indicator for them.
The results showed the northern hemisphere having an advantage over the southern: Ireland beat the Wallabies in Sydney, and Scotland defeated the Pumas in Buenos Aires. However, Erasmus believes that the Rugby Championship teams will improve their play. He noted that Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and themselves are in a similar situation, being 'a bit rusty' before the new season.
According to Erasmus, Southern Hemisphere teams usually require one or two matches to find cohesion. He cited the example of Argentina and mentioned that although Scotland played well and beat England in the Six Nations, the Pumas have difficulties because many of their key players play for teams in France, England, Japan, and other countries. Furthermore, they did not have a preparatory match because their playmaker and coach had just returned after participating in Barbarians matches.
In the game against England, in Erasmus's opinion, the situation was tense at halftime. After receiving a yellow card in the first half, the opponents closed the gap on them, and after two yellow cards at the end of the game, the distance increased. Therefore, these factors must be taken into account when assessing the outcome of the match. The coach stressed that team spirit was demonstrated very brightly, which is critically important since it usually takes several games to achieve synchronization before the Rugby Championship or the 'Greatest Showdown' tour this year.
Erasmus reiterated that suddenly stepping into a series match after seven months of inactivity is extremely difficult. He concluded that the game against England is in the past, and the players' upcoming weekend will require quick adaptation, similar to what the team did last week, to ensure a fast start that will be determined by intensity and intent, rather than necessarily by scoreboard results.
