Springboks team: Five takeaways as Rassie Erasmus takes ‘well-travelled route’ with uncapped players while ‘rarest of beasts’ shows South Africa looking to ‘hone in’ on new gameplan
Rassie Erasmus (left) has named his side to face Wales this weekend
Following confirmation of the Springboks’ team to face Wales in the Nations Championship, here are our five key takeaways from Rassie Erasmus’ selection.
Vibey
Right across the board, this is just a very vibey selection from the Springboks boss.
The four debutants, of course, take the headlines, but even around them, it’s just a really fun-looking team. The backline is built to play in chaotic, broken field where the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel and Cobus Reinach can excel. The latest change at scrum-half, bringing Reinach back into the run-on group, is also only going to see them play with proper tempo and fizz, all while adding some real off-the-cuff stuff in there as well. Hotshot Vusi Moyo running the show at fly-half is also going to be an exciting prospect, and adds a layer of unknown to their overall game that could point at how this team are looking to develop further down the line.
That ambition is also matched by the sheer quality up front. Paul de Villiers looks every inch a Test player after a bright start to life in the Green and Gold, Gerhard Steenekamp, handed a rare start, is capable of some proper moments of brilliance ball-in-hand, all while being mixed in with the likes of Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese and Malcolm Marx as well.
It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s bold. It’s a team that pricks your ears. It’s a team that shows real ambition.
There’s just a lot to like about it.
Mixing it up
The Boks are never afraid to take a punt on players, and Erasmus has done so once again with the inclusion of uncapped men Jaco Williams, Vusi Moyo, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie in the run-on group.
Individually, they all actually make sense. Injuries to Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Handre Pollard and Canan Moodie have all created spots in the side that need to be filled, and rather than opting for the safer option of including stress-tested players, Erasmus has picked fresh faces.
They also come in pretty interesting positions. Sadie’s inclusion at tighthead comes with Wilco Louw, Zachary Porthen and Thomas du Toit all featuring this Nations Championship as Erasmus looks to find his best three and 18 combination. Moyo’s nod at fly-half and Jaco Williams’ inclusion on the wing also come with long-term back-up slot open in those respective positions, while Van Heerden also gets to prove himself at a time when the Boks’ lock stocks are being stretched.
This is a well-travelled route for the Boks boss, too. He has proved time and time again that he is willing to give players a go at this level, no matter their age or level of experience, with 51 players used in 2024 and 50 in 2025. Capping these four players is a sign that he is again pushing for a bigger player pool.
Experienced surroundings
When you look at the uncapped players in this squad, one thing sticks out; they all have proper experienced heads around them. Williams’ nod in the back-three comes alongside the inclusions of Fassi and Arendse, who have been key men in the Test side in recent years. Moyo has the vastly experienced Reinach as his half-back partner on Saturday, with Damian de Allende and Kriel also outside of him as the centre combination.
In the pack, Sadie packs down alongside 88-capper Marx in the front-row, while Van Heerden also has the likes of Du Toit and J. Wiese with him in the back five of the scrum.
This is a really clever way for Erasmus to blood in his latest batch of fresh faces. It just allows a little bit more of the pressure to perform off them a touch all while giving them someone to essentially guide them through the Test and get over the line.
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It’s a sign of Eramsus’ rugby IQ.
5:3?!?
The rarest of beasts in a Springboks side; a traditional, no hybrids included 5:3 split.
This is such a pivot away from where the Boks have been recently. For years, Erasmus has used a forward-focused bench, running a 7:1 and using Cheslin Kolbe as a utility option or even turning out-and-out centre Andre Esterhuizen into a hybrid player to create the option of a 6:2 if needed, but now he has gone flat out 5:3 with no real option to change tack.
Coming off the back of his backline selections against England and Scotland, too, it again shows just how much they are looking to hone in on their new fast-paced attacking game.
The backs within it, Herschel Jantjies, Manie Libbok and Damian de Al… I mean Willemse, also really suit that style too. Jantjies is pretty nippy around the fringes of the ruck and likes to play at that increased tempo, while Libbok and Willemse have also already shown they can form a devastating playmaking axis and get the Boks purring ball-in-hand. Them all coming on as a unit will also complement the likes of Kriel, De Allende and Arendse, shifting the tempo in the latter stages when the game inevitably starts to open up. Willemse also adds a layer of versatility within it, being able to cover 15, centre or even wing if needed.
The way they will be used could also be interesting. Does Erasmus bring them on one player at a time, or does he do a backline bomb squad? Oosh, that could be fun.
‘Tony-ball’ is still very much embedding itself into the Springboks DNA, even if it is delivering some genuinely gorgeous rugby already, and this is yet another sign of the boss letting it become a part of them.
Injury issues continue
While there is a lot to like about Erasmus’ selection this weekend, it also comes amid the backdrop of yet further injury issues in key areas.
After starting at fly-half last weekend, Pollard has been deemed unavailable this time out through injury, which also comes alongside knocks to Etzebeth, Mostert, Esterhuizen, Moodie and Ox Nche as well.
Naming a squad of this quality shows just how strong the Boks’ wider squad is, but losing yet another big name is undoubtedly a major blow for Erasmus, especially when you factor in the upcoming Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
