Planet Rugby's predicted team for the first Test in Johannesburg goes with experience over experimentation — though the real interest is in the selection debates the piece works through. Willemse holds 15 ahead of a misfiring Fassi, Libbok gets the nod at 10 over Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Pollard given his record against New Zealand, and Pieter-Steph du Toit is expected to captain in the likely absence of Kolisi. The tight-five picks themselves are largely settled, with Etzebeth and Eben having done enough against Argentina to justify a start despite limited recent game time. The spicier calls are on the bench: Porthen over Louw at tighthead, Cobus Wiese over a underdone De Jager at lock, and Hanekom potentially rewarded for his Argentina performance. The piece argues Esterhuizen's hybrid utility effectively hands the Boks a flexible 6-2/5-3 split without sacrificing backline cover.
Predicted XV: Erasmus likely to shelve the surprises for All Blacks opener
A position-by-position predicted XV for Johannesburg, with the tightest calls at 10, tighthead bench cover, and the loose forward slots — and the argument that Erasmus will keep his maverick tendencies in check for the series opener.
Syndesmosis injury could keep Feinberg-Mngomezulu out for three months
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces a three-month absence after suffering a syndesmosis injury in the Stormers' URC quarter-final win over Cardiff, potentially ruling him out of the Nations Championship Tests and part of the All Blacks series.
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.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ankle injury puts Rugby Nations Championship opener in doubt
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will miss at least the first three rounds of the Rugby Nations Championship after injuring his ankle in the Stormers' URC quarterfinal win over Cardiff, adding to a growing list of Springbok halfback concerns that already includes Cobus Reinach's knee injury.
Horn at 10, a Stormers-heavy Bomb Squad, and five uncapped faces — five things to know about the Boks' Barbarians selection
Erasmus has named Quan Horn at fly-half — his first professional start at 10 — with Kolbe taking kicking duties, a Stormers-heavy Bomb Squad replacing the usual faces, and five uncapped players handed their moment ahead of the Nations Championship.
Five things that matter in Erasmus's Barbarians squad
Planet Rugby breaks down the five key talking points from Erasmus's Barbarians squad: Horn's unprecedented fly-half debut, Du Toit's injury comeback, a heavily rotated Bomb Squad drawn entirely from the Stormers, and five uncapped players given their shot before the Nations Championship opener.