The Springboks during a training session at the Johannesburg Stadium, in preparation for the matches against the Barbarians, and the SA ‘A’ team versus Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha next Saturday.
The Springboks are 16 months away from the World Cup in Australia, but Rassie Erasmus won't sacrifice winning on the altar of planning.
Erasmus knows the mentality of his Springbok players and their supporters better than anyone, and he understands that, however much he wants to strategise for the future, he cannot compromise on winning.
In 2025, the Springbok coach used close to 60 players across 14 Tests and a friendly against the Barbarians. He lost just two of the Tests for a win percentage of 85.7 percent.
In 2024, Erasmus began his depth-building in earnest, but not to the cost of success — the Boks won 11 of 13 Tests at a win percentage of 84.6 percent.
