Victor Matfield has pushed back on suggestions that Paul de Villiers' breakthrough has made Kolisi expendable, arguing both he and Etzebeth will be on the plane to Australia in 2027. The piece centres on Matfield's appearance on the Rivals Podcast alongside John Kirwan, where he addressed the performance pressure Erasmus applies universally — pointing to the exits of de Klerk, Mbonambi and le Roux as proof that seniority counts for nothing if form dips. Matfield draws a distinction between Kolisi and De Villiers as flankers — framing them as different profiles rather than direct rivals — and makes the Sean Fitzpatrick/Francois Pienaar/John Smit comparison to argue that captaincy value isn't reducible to individual brilliance. His nuanced conclusion: Kolisi's role may evolve, perhaps carrying more squad leadership weight than game time, but he remains integral to how the Boks function as a unit.
Matfield: Kolisi and Etzebeth still World Cup-bound — but nobody gets a free pass under Rassie
Matfield backs Kolisi and Etzebeth to reach the 2027 World Cup, arguing De Villiers is a complement rather than a straight replacement, while underlining that Erasmus's uncompromising form-or-drop culture applies to everyone — veterans included.
- Siya Kolisi
- Eben Etzebeth
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Faf de Klerk
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.
Erasmus warns Boks: England bring youth, experience and tactical unpredictability to Ellis Park
Rassie Erasmus has praised England's touring squad as young, experienced and tactically unpredictable ahead of the Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park on 4 July, while Siya Kolisi returns as captain for a fixture that marked his first Test captaincy in 2018.
Kolisi treats Barbarians clash as a full Test match ahead of Gqeberha opener
Siya Kolisi insists the Springboks are treating Saturday's Barbarians clash in Gqeberha as a full Test match, with internal competition, positional battles and the season opener's importance all cited as the camp's driving forces.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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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.