Erasmus has been upfront about potentially repeating last week's controversial pre-match front-row swap for the third Test at FNB Stadium. His justification is meteorological: a heavier front-row suits wet conditions, and with Johannesburg showing a 65% rain probability, Nche, Marx and Louw could again be shifted from the run-on side to the bench in favour of Steenekamp, Fourie and du Toit — exactly as happened before the Cape Town Test. Whether you buy the weather-driven rationale or see it as deliberate obfuscation of his true selection thinking, Erasmus has now twice hinted publicly that the named team isn't necessarily the starting team. The piece walks through the squad as announced and contextualises what a potential reshuffle would mean for the Soweto decider.
Erasmus flags possible front-row flip again — and this time weather is his alibi
Erasmus is openly flagging another last-minute front-row rotation for the Soweto decider, citing rain forecasts as the trigger — the piece breaks down what that could mean for the third Test lineup.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Malcolm Marx
- Frans Malherbe
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
- FNB Stadium
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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Springboks Through Irish Eyes: Gráinne Seoige on Loftus, Rassie, and Why SA Rugby Is Unlike Anything Else
Irish TV personality Gráinne Seoige tells the Lekker Rugby Pod that walking into Loftus for the 2024 Ireland test was the most intimidating rugby atmosphere she has ever experienced, and argues that Rassie Erasmus's cultural transformation of Springbok rugby is a bigger achievement than the World Cup wins.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.
Boks' Ellis Park demolition of England reveals genuine depth — and sharp halftime adaptability
Cardinelli argues the Ellis Park rout matters less for the scoreline than for what it revealed: a Bok group capable of genuine halftime tactical adjustment — the quality conspicuously absent in the 2025 Wallabies loss — while operating well short of their first-choice squad. The piece weighs what the win tells us about depth, Libbok's revival, and the fringe players who will matter when the All Blacks series rotation bites.