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The Boks are done with experimentation, for now, and will be picking close to their strongest squad.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will name a reduced squad of 36 players for opening two games of the Rugby Championship against Australia in due course. Picture: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
The Springboks will be unleashing close to their very best team against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship, after giving 46 players a run during their first four games of their 2025 international campaign.
Over the past weekend the Boks’ incoming series came to its end, which included two games against Italy in Pretoria (42-24) and Gqeberha (45-0), and a one-off Test against Georgia (55-10) in Mbombela, while they started their season against the invitational Barbarians (54-7) in Cape Town.
All 46 players picked in the squad for the opening four games got a run, with Evan Roos and Ethan Hooker getting the least amount of game time, with both playing just 24 minutes in the second Test against Italy.
Every other player at least played more than half a game of rugby, with five players playing once, including captain Siya Kolisi who missed the first three matches through injury, which means 39 players got two run outs or more over the opening four games.
Smaller Bok squad
A reduced squad of 36 players for the first two games of the Rugby Championship was set to be named on Tuesday, but it has now been delayed and will be revealed at a later date.
Speaking ahead of the Georgia game, Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick was asked when the management would be aiming to work with a smaller group of players that they would be focussing on going towards the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Stick explained that it was far too soon to be looking at a group that would be playing in that tournament Down Under, but that they would certainly be playing close to their current best group during the Rugby Championship.
“We definitely aren’t looking that far ahead yet. Yes, we have a goal going up to 2027, but the main thing at the moment for us is focusing on this season and building our squad depth, while also still winning,” said Stick.
“Because at the end of the year there is a draw for the World Cup and we have to make sure we are in a good position for the draw. On the other side we want to achieve our goal for the season.
Tough games
“In the Rugby Championship we are going to have tough games against Australia (at home), New Zealand twice away from home and Argentina (home and away). So we probably will get close to our best possible 35 players that you will see in those (big) games.
“We aren’t even thinking about who will be in the World Cup squad come 2027. If you look at some of the youngsters coming through, we are in a really good space. But the closest we will come to our best team will be in the Rugby Championship when we face the All Blacks.”
After the match against Georgia, coach Rassie Erasmus also admitted the Boks wouldn’t be experimenting much in the Rugby Championship, and that a more settled and tried and tested group would be picked for the first two games against Australia, before another group is picked to go to New Zealand.
“Within that (Rugby Championship) squad, there’ll be one or two guys that we experiment with, but the bulk of that squad will be experienced players who are suited to the way we want to play. The Rugby Championship is a step up to tier-two nations, the Barbarians, and the Italy matches,” explained Erasmus.
