Jerry Flannery has spelled out the coaching staff's mindset heading into the Nations Championship's northern hemisphere leg: treat it like World Cup knockout rugby. With the expanded 2025 World Cup format closely mirroring the structure of this window — group matches feeding into a round of 16 and beyond — the Boks are using the tour to build competitive cohesion under pressure rather than rotate freely through the squad. Flannery was candid that how much the matchday 23 changes week-to-week remains undecided, with selection driven by what each game demands rather than a predetermined plan.
For the Italy opener, Erasmus leaned heavily on the squad that handled the All Blacks series, citing the short camp turnaround as the key reason uncapped players weren't yet ready to integrate. On the bonus-point question — which may well determine whether South Africa or New Zealand reaches the London final — Flannery was clear: win first, then hunt points in the final 20 minutes if the game allows. Chasing four-try bonuses from kick-off, against the quality of opposition in this tournament, isn't a mindset the coaches are willing to entertain.