Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus goes into the inaugural Nations Championship against England next weekend with his focus firmly on the 2027 World Cup.Bonus points are likely to be critical as teams battle to try top the two pools in a bid to make the straight final of the new global competition at the end of the year. The Boks play England, Scotland and Wales in the first three rounds on home soil, and in November will take on Italy, France and Ireland. Bonus points will be awarded to sides scoring four or more tries and losing by seven or fewer points, with wins worth four points and draws two. But Erasmus, who has led the Boks to World Cup glory, three Rugby Championships and a series victory over the British & Irish Lions, said he is placing a premium on victories, not on bonus points. “We want to try to win every match and obviously build squad depth and character and a playing style that everybody is used to, and when we get to the World Cup there are a lot of players who can play the style we want to play,” the coach told a virtual press conference. “I don’t think we really see this as a competition. We see this as the next Test match and the next Test match and the next Test match. “This is probably not the thing most people want to hear, but we want to beat England, then beat Scotland, then beat Wales and I think they want to do the same with us. “Going for bonus points and those things, I don’t know if that’s really Test match rugby. We just want to win every Test match, [even] if it’s with one point.”Erasmus pointed out he wasn’t married to the 46-man squad announced after the Barbarians match, saying it was likely to change as he continues trying to create depth in every position ahead of the World Cup. “We are all working towards the World Cup and we want to make sure when we get there, we’ve looked at everybody,” he said, explaining he is targeting depth of five to six players in each position. “The team that will play the first game against England, as we are standing now, we hope to give some players chances in different games.Next week Sunday, after our first game, we might send a few guys back to rest and draft in a few other guys— Rassie Erasmus, Springbok coach“It’s a big squad, it’s 46, but there are another 15 to 17 guys either injured or we are resting them a bit, or we think they’ll be more suited to play maybe against Scotland or Argentina or New Zealand. This is not the [only] squad we’re going to use. “Next week Sunday, after our first game, we might send a few guys back to rest and draft in a few other guys,” he said, adding Lood de Jager will be fit in time for the Scotland match on July 11. “After that there’s massive matches — Argentina, Australia and New Zealand — where the squad will definitely rotate a lot.”The Springboks take on England at Ellis Park next Saturday.