Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe was one of the outstanding players against England. The convincing win at Ellis Park could give Rassie Erasmus the opportunity to rest players like Kolbe to blood new stars.
Now that the Springboks have dispelled any notion that they are not the best team in the world by crushing England at Ellis Park on Saturday, Rassie Erasmus should feel free to experiment with his squad over the next couple of Tests in the Nations Championship.
The Boks showed in an emphatic 45-21 victory that they remain the benchmark in world rugby, opening their campaign in style with seven tries and some excellent interplay between the forwards and backs.
Even when there were shades of last year's fast start at Ellis Park against Australia, with England fighting back shortly before halftime, a shift in mindset after the break allowed the South Africans to pull away once again. They never allowed their intensity to drop, defended with accuracy and attacked with confidence and purpose.
Those are all the hallmarks of a quality group that can continue to perform despite injuries to key players. Captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth were forced to withdraw through injury, leaving a one-cap Cameron Hanekom and debutant Paul de Villiers to step in. Erasmus and his assistants had to reshuffle their pack, but even those late changes failed to unsettle the side.
