There is never a dull moment in any Springbok team when announced by Rassie Erasmus, and his combination to play Scotland in Pretoria on Saturday is no different. The coach made his team public as early as noon on Monday.
Here, Mike Greenaway looks at five takeaways from surely the earliest Test team announcement on record for Saturday’s Nations Championship Test at Loftus Versveld (kick-off 5.40pm).
A blue-tinged team makes perfect sense
While there is a raft of changes, Erasmus has given the team the safety net of a strong Bulls backbone for a match at Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls players were not considered for the Barbarians match because they were still making their way home from the United Rugby Championship final in Dublin.
There are four Bulls in the tight five and nine in the match-23.
Loose forward future is bright
The starting loose-trio is an exciting fusion of different talents. The ultimate workhorse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, is the central pillar, supported by out-and-out fetcher Paul de Villiers and rugged No 8 Evan Roos.
The former was impressive in his debut against England, while Roos has been given a gilt-edged opportunity to state his case. Add in Vincent Tshituka, Elrigh Louw and Ben-Jason Dixon on the bench, and we have a glimpse into the loose forward future at the Boks.
Pollard and Papier have everything to play for
There has been plenty of reaction to Papier’s recall to the starting line-up after last playing for the Boks (and Erasmus) in 2018, the year he gained all of his eight caps. But Pollard, despite his fantastic record with the Boks, knows that the spotlight is also on him after an indifferent finish to the URC season with the Bulls.
The veteran is playing to show he still deserves to be in the green and gold; Papier is playing to show he deserves his recall. And combining the two after a season-long partnership is a masterstroke by the coach.
Louw back at long last
Louw will be cherishing his opportunity off the bench after having initially been overlooked for the Nations Championship squad. The back door was opened for him when Riley Norton got injured.
Louw debuted for the Boks in 2022 at 22-years old but four years later has only a handful of caps. A big part of the reason is the horrific leg injury that removed him from the game for almost a year. Louw last played for the Boks in 2024 and will want to make every second on the field count at his home ground.
Willemse’s chance to display versatility
Damian Willemse was close to perfect at fullback against England and was the Player of the Match, even if a behind-the-scenes gaffe saw teammate Damian de Allende receive the reward before millions of viewers.
No doubt the two Damians had a good laugh in the changing rooms. Willemse now has the chance to show his skills at inside centre, in place of the rested De Allende. Willemse last played there in the Boks’ 43-10 demolition of the All Blacks in Wellington last year. The Boks don’t have a lot of 12s beyond Andre Esterhuizen and De Allende, and Willemse’s ability to play well there is a crucial part of Erasmus’ broader planning.
