Warren Fortune's player-by-player breakdown of the 42-28 win over Scotland reveals a tale of two halves — and two teams. The starting XV, heavily rotated by Erasmus, was shaky enough to make it interesting: Willemse misfiring at 12, the defensive channels exploited out wide, Pollard unable to impose control at 10, and Dixon picking up a yellow card shortly after the break. The forwards were largely the standouts among the starters, with Nortje (8/10) and Paul de Villiers (7.5/10) doing the heavy lifting, and Cobus Wiese (7.5/10) producing a barnstorming cameo before his early exit. The real story is the bench: Grant Williams (8.5/10) is rated the best player on the park, credited with changing the game on introduction; Elrigh Louw (8/10) and Quan Horn (8/10) were nearly as influential. Willemse's shift to fullback and Horn's flexibility across the backline unlocked an attack that had been stuttering. Fortune's ratings make a quiet but pointed argument — this Bok squad's depth is genuine, but the first-choice combinations in this rotated line-up still have questions to answer.
Player Ratings: Boks grind past Scotland 42-28 with bench making the difference
Fortune's ratings reveal a Bok win built largely on bench impact — Williams, Horn and Elrigh Louw transformed a shaky first half into a comfortable victory, while the rotated starting backline exposed some defensive and tactical frailties worth monitoring.
Papier earns first Springbok start in eight years against Scotland
Embrose Papier earns his eighth Springbok cap and first start in eight years against Scotland, rewarded for a standout Bulls season that saw him score nine tries.
Destiny, depth and the aerial 'set phase': Erasmus unpacks the England win
Erasmus reframes the Etzebeth and Kolisi injury disruptions as forced but valuable depth-testing ahead of 2027, while flagging the aerial contest as an emerging third set piece — and Willemse as the Boks' current master of it.
Erasmus credits SA Rugby pipeline after Boks rout Barbarians 80-31
Erasmus praised the composure and maturity of five uncapped players after the Springboks beat the Barbarians 80-31 in Gqeberha, crediting SA Rugby's pipeline for the depth available, while playing down franchise form as a selection concern following the Bulls' heavy URC Final loss to Leinster.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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Rassie on Alles Ep 1 | The Barbarians in the Bay
The #Springboks kick off their season against the Barbarians in Gqeberha, a place close to the hearts of Rassie Erasmus, Mzwandile Stick, and Deon Davids. The three Bok coaches discuss why it's special to return to the Eastern Cape and what