Rassie Erasmus hints that Springboks could repeat controversial selection ploy
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and an inset of Deon Fourie.
Rassie Erasmus could make late changes to his Springboks’ matchday 23 ahead of the third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test match in Soweto.
Last Monday, the head coach named his team for the encounter in Cape Town but made changes on the eve of the second Test following the injury to Handre Pollard, who was named as the starting fly-half.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was subsequently moved back into the starting XV with Manie Libbok added to the bench, while Erasmus opted to also replace Kurt-Lee Arendse on the right wing, as the injury Cheslin Kolbe sustained in the opening Test wasn’t as bad as initially feared.
Those weren’t the only changes, as an hour before kick-off, SA Rugby confirmed that the two sets of Springbok front-rows had traded roles, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit starting the match instead of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw, who all dropped to the bench.
Why Rassie Erasmus could make last-minute changes again
This week, Erasmus again named his team on Monday with the latter trio again in the run-on team, with the only other change being Kolbe taking over at full-back from the injured Damian Willemse and Arendse reinstated in the number 14 jersey.
However, the head coach hinted that he may repeat the controversial ploy of changing the front-rows again depending on the weather in Soweto on Saturday. Following the victory over New Zealand in Cape Town, he explained that because the forecast was wrong about the rain, which was supposed to fall during the match, he changed the bench props with those in the starting XV as the lighter pack was better suited for the drier conditions.
He doubled down on that claim after naming his team for the third Test and said he may switch the front-rowers again.
“I see there is a 65% chance of rain, and we’ve had the most beautiful weather. We haven’t had a rainy day since we’ve been here for 13 weeks,” he said about Johannesburg.
“That does change the game. It makes handling tougher, box-kicking tougher, and it makes it more effective when you are trying to strip the ball.
All Blacks winger addresses Cheslin Kolbe scuffle: ‘I didn’t realise he was going to get so angry’
‘Well done to World Rugby’ – Rassie Erasmus praises law change that is ‘working all teams’
“Scrummaging is a little bit more difficult too with a lighter pack; a heavier pack is, in my opinion and what Daan [Human, Springboks scrum coach] tells me, a lighter pack struggles a little bit more on a wet field.
“Thus, the change last weekend, so I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday, and we swap it back again, and you think we’re doing it on purpose. If it’s clear and dry, that will be the team that’s starting. If it’s raining, we might make a change or two.”
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Springboks team as it stands
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2026
Venue: FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17:10 (local SAST), 16:10 (UK), 17:10 (France), 17:10 (South Africa), 01:10 (6 September, AEST), 03:10 (6 September, New Zealand), 12:10 (Argentina), 00:10 (6 September, JST), 11:10 (EDT)
How to watch: Sky Sports (UK and Ireland), Sky Sport / Sky Sport Now (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), Stan Sport / Nine Sport (Australia), RugbyPass TV (USA), Premier Sports (Canada), WOWOW (Japan), ESPN Sur (Central/South America and Caribbean)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia) and Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
