A 17-10 win in Buenos Aires was far closer than Erasmus would have wanted, and the piece dissects why. The Bomb Squad gets top billing — Steenekamp, Porthen, Wessels and company shifted the set-piece battle decisively once introduced, and their physicality proved the difference in a tense final stand on the Boks' tryline. Pollard also earns credit for steadying things when Feinberg-Mngomezulu was making unforced errors. Hanekom is flagged as the standout among the starters, with Van der Merwe also pressing his case for a Test jersey. On the losing side of the ledger, the injury-returnees — Etzebeth, De Jager and SFM — failed to make the statements needed with the All Blacks series two weeks away. De Jager in particular is assessed as having done little to displace Nortje, while Fassi's quiet outing leaves Willemse as the frontrunner at fullback. Kolisi's first-half injury exit looms as the most serious concern heading into Johannesburg.
Bomb Squad saves the Boks, but SFM and the returning stars leave questions unanswered
The Bomb Squad bailed the Boks out in Buenos Aires, but SFM's errors, De Jager's struggles and Kolisi's injury exit mean the narrow win raises as many selection questions as it answers ahead of the All Blacks opener.
Syndesmosis injury could keep Feinberg-Mngomezulu out for three months
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces a three-month absence after suffering a syndesmosis injury in the Stormers' URC quarter-final win over Cardiff, potentially ruling him out of the Nations Championship Tests and part of the All Blacks series.
Erasmus: winning stays non-negotiable, whatever the World Cup build-up demands
Erasmus has made his 2025 season intent explicit: rotation and World Cup-building happen inside a framework where winning remains the non-negotiable baseline. The piece breaks down what that means for squad management, the veterans' standing, and why the All Blacks series carries extra weight.
Why 'Gazza' Willemse is the insurance policy Bok fans should trust
Rich maps the 2022 injury-to-opportunity parallel to argue that Libbok and Willemse provide Erasmus real cover at 10 — and that Bok fans fretting about Feinberg-Mngomezulu's absence are underselling the depth already in the system.
Erasmus draws the line: World Cup planning won't come at the cost of winning
Erasmus is unambiguous: squad-building and World Cup prep don't override the drive to win. The piece breaks down how he's balancing depth rotation with a clear selection hierarchy, and what this season's fixture list — England, then four All Blacks Tests — demands of a squad that's broadened over two years and is now being refined.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ankle injury puts Rugby Nations Championship opener in doubt
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will miss at least the first three rounds of the Rugby Nations Championship after injuring his ankle in the Stormers' URC quarterfinal win over Cardiff, adding to a growing list of Springbok halfback concerns that already includes Cobus Reinach's knee injury.