Springboks squad: Five takeaways as Rassie Erasmus’ three-peat plans ‘take shape’ with no room for sentiment
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and an inset of Damian Willemse. (Photos by James Foy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire)
Following the announcement of Rassie Erasmus’ squad for the Rugby Championship clashes against Argentina, here are our five takeaways.
Top line
Erasmus has a knack for stunning the public and throwing a few surprises into the mix, but there were no such shocks when he released his squad for the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship, and why would they be? One win from two with an aggregate score of 34-60 in New Zealand against the All Blacks is certainly nothing to be scoffed at. In fact, many a previous Springbok squads would have ripped your arm off for that kind of result.
Jean-Luc du Preez, Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi all dropped out, the latter pair sustaining injuries in the first half of the historic defeat of the All Blacks, while the former suffered a setback in the build-up to the first Test.
The most surprising selection was the dropping of Willie le Roux, who falls out of the squad after starting the Eden Park encounter, a decision that hints that the next generation is being ushered through, and the elder heads are being worked out. But more on that later.
The pack remains unchanged entirely, with the props who shone in Aotearoa backed to do the job once again versus Argentina, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels primed to provide cover at hooker and prop. Bongi Mbonambi arrived late in New Zealand and ultimately didn’t play against the All Blacks, but is back in the mix again. There looks to be sufficient cover in the second-row despite the injury to De Jager, as Franco Mostert, Ruan Nortje, and RG Snyman cover the number five role, while Eben Etzebeth will likely start both games in the tighthead lock position.
Jasper Wiese was at his destructive best in Wellington, remaining disciplined in doing so too, and adds real venom to the loose forwards along with the likes of Marco van Staden, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith and captain Siya Kolisi.
In the half-backs, Faf de Klerk is retained in the squad with no further changes as he is joined by Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach and Morne van den Berg, while the same is true in the fly-half stocks, which include Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok.
The midfield is stacked with options, including Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Canan Moodie, Ethan Hooker and hybrid forward-back Andre Esterhuizen. Moodie and Hooker also provide options on the wings and Damian Willemse at full-back and centre. The winger options are Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe.
World Cup set-up?
SA Rugby have stated that three further players may be added to the squad pending medical assessments, but there is a unique opportunity to recreate a Rugby World Cup-esque style run through the final stages of the Rugby Championship.
Many of the current squad members will be well aware of what a World Cup demands, not only physically but mentally, too, with some having featured in three global tournaments. However, there are many fresh faces in the setup who have not experienced it.
With a squad of 33, the coaches have the chance to stress certain scenarios with injuries and test training plans two years out. Sure, the November internationals offer similar challenges but, with a game in Durban and then Twickenham, there is the additional stress of long-haul travel.
This might all be academic as Erasmus may very well add the three further players, but the temptation will be there to use this final block of the campaign as a litmus test for many of his players and the coaching team.
Rassie’s plan continues to take shape
Speaking of the World Cup, it looks as though Erasmus’ plan to best prepare for the Boks’ for their three-peat attempt is gathering pace and steaming ahead.
He is bound to have a more complex breakdown of the journey to Australia 2027, but in Lehman’s terms, we could simplify it to five steps: 1. Get new ideas, 2. Plan the innovation, 3. Implement, 4. Review and Adapt, 5. Perfect.
Step 1 began even before the Springboks won the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with Jerry Flannery in camp as Jacques Nienaber’s replacement as the coach leading the defence. However, it really took shape in 2024 once he took over the role full-time and was joined by new attack coach Tony Brown.
The Springboks were never going to be able to become the first nation to clinch a World Cup three-peat without fresh ideas and approaches, Erasmus realised this and got fresh eyes and voices in the system before welcoming Felix Jones back into the set-up after his stint with England.
Step 2 began with the alignment camps in early 2024, even before then, with coaches brainstorming and preparing their plans, and it is frankly an ongoing endeavour. We may see the glitz and glamour on the pitch with tricky lineout plays, selection, more expansive play, or even with ball in hand, but it goes beyond that with changes in the way the squad trains, positional requirements and analysis of the opposition.
Then it’s piecing it altogether onto the pitch and getting buy-in from the players. Step 3 is testing those innovations and evolutions out. It’s a learning process and, like Erasmus has admitted on several occasions, it hasn’t always paid dividends. The caveat here is not just implementing the new ideas when the team is expected to win, but doing it in the biggest matches, against the best opposition and with fresh faces on the pitch.
That brings us to step 4, and as it stands, the Springboks look to be in between 3 and 4, with the latter being the review and adaptation period. There was no starker indication of just that when South Africa reverted to a more conservative style of play after their historic defeat at the hands of the Wallabies at Ellis Park. It was almost a back-to-type, backing the aerial game, set-piece dominance, but at Eden Park, that didn’t get the job done. So again, there was a big shift to backing the youth in the backs and loosening the shackles again, and that paid out in spades. Reviewing and adapting on the fly. It’s certainly a constant work in progress. A horses for courses exercise, but importantly, it’s not just deciding what works and what doesn’t, but what players work in the systems and what don’t.
The demands might be too great for some of the ageing stars or even too demanding for some of the younger ones. Finding the balance is the crucial bit to reach the fifth and final step of perfection. Again, this is a journey rather than a destination, and there will never be a perfect performance, but come Australia 2027, they will be hoping to be as close to that as humanly possible, and the lessons learnt this year will be invaluable.
Value in utility
As was the case in 2023, it’s crystal clear to see just how much value Erasmus and his coaching team place in versatility.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ constant switches between hooker and prop are evidence of just that, but there are examples littered throughout this particular squad.
On paper, Damian Willemse is the only player with extensive Test match experience at full-back following the injury to Fassi. However, Cheslin Kolbe could very easily slot into the position where he has shone at club level. The speedster has started just once in the Green and Gold number 15 jumper, against France, and while South Africa would lose some of his industriousness out wide, he wouldn’t be out of his depth at the back.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could also easily do the job, having played in the full-back role last year for the Boks and having done so regularly for the Stormers. His future seemingly lies at fly-half, but he would be a solid choice in the number 15 role and would assist whoever is in the number 10 jersey with the playmaking duties. Even Moodie has played full-back for the Bulls.
There may be four scrum-halves in the squad yet again, but best believe that they will be tasked with performing additional roles in training. Grant Williams showed again just how handy he is as an option at wing, and Cobus Reinach will be filling similar duties, while one would think that Faf de Klerk and Morne van den Berg would be running around as makeshift fly-halves. Again, a similar make-up to the 2023 World Cup squad.
Staying with the backs, and although Ethan Hooker was sensational on the wing, he could easily slot into either of the midfield roles, while Willemse shone in his first start at number 12, a position overflowing with quality in Damian de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen, the latter learning the ins and outs of a Test forward.
Having the position flexibility was hugely influential in the record victory over the All Blacks and has done so previously as well, but it also makes the job of selecting the squad all the more easier. It also allows players to slip into those positions and provide adequate training opposition when niggles hit during the week.
Is Willie just the first of many?
As mentioned above, part of the review and adaptation period results in a turnover in personnel. It was bound to and had to happen at some point, as quite simply, not every player, even in this modern era, can be expected to perform at the highest level for 12 years – even with a golden generation. The omission of Willie le Roux suggests that the Springboks coaches are starting to make those tough decisions, and it won’t be the last.
Erasmus and his assistant, Mzwandile Stick, have stated that they cannot retire players but have admitted that the time will come when they simply cannot select them anymore. Le Roux has been crucial, not only in the success of the squad during the back-to-back World Cup successes but also in everything in between, too, and has started to prepare the next generation to succeed by passing on his knowledge. But the latest selection call points to one of the first passing of the torches, with others to follow.
Elsewhere, Bongi Mbonambi is one of three out-and-out hookers in the squad, but his performances in Green and Gold have dipped in recent times. That was partly down to a collective lineout issue, but on the whole, like Le Roux, it seems as though father time is catching up with him. Perhaps that’s a blip, but if not, there are hookers rising through the ranks to contend for his position.
Franco Mostert continues to produce solid performances for the side, but is also being pressed incredibly hard by Ruan Nortje in particular, who seemingly gets better with every Test match he plays in.
There is rarely room for sentiment in professional sport, and as much as Erasmus would love to take the majority of the 2019 and 2023 stars to Australia in two years, it’s simply not feasible.
