Thomas du Toit's three seasons at Bath have turned him into more than just a tighthead upgrade — he's now one of the Boks' sharpest intelligence assets heading into Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park. Erasmus is leaning on Du Toit's first-hand knowledge of England's internationals to counter what he sees as a dangerously misleading narrative around England's form. The Six Nations results, Erasmus argues, tell you almost nothing useful — pointing to the Boks' own post-hammering World Cup win and last year's Rugby Championship recovery after being beaten at Ellis Park as proof that recent form is a poor predictor. Erasmus rates Du Toit as a world-class tighthead with more ceiling still to reach, crediting Johann van Graan's Bath setup with sharpening him. The piece frames Saturday's Test as a match where preparation depth and departmental execution — scrums, lineouts, defence — will matter far more than reputation or public sentiment.