Erasmus has framed the four-test Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series as a war of attrition rather than a sprint, and his team selection for the Ellis Park opener reflects exactly that. His core argument: the All Blacks have averaged 200 playing minutes per man over the past six weeks against 130 for the Boks, and he expects six or seven injuries per camp before the decider at Soccer City on 5 September. Kolisi, Mostert, and De Jager have all been held back deliberately — Kolisi earmarked for Cape Town, the locks managed through their respective injury concerns. Erasmus is signalling a significantly rotated XV for the second test regardless of Saturday's result, and he's backed his depth — pointing specifically to what Libbok and Moodie have delivered in big ABs fixtures — as the edge New Zealand's less experienced bench can't match. A first-test loss won't derail the plan; he's referenced 2021 and the 2019 World Cup as proof the Boks can absorb an early setback. The strategic intent is transparent: keep bodies fresh, rotate intelligently, and be the side still standing when the series is actually decided.
Rassie's RGR gamble: Winning game three, not game one
Erasmus has publicly framed the RGR Series as a depth and fitness contest rather than a game-by-game battle, deliberately holding back Kolisi, Mostert, and De Jager while pointing to a significant playing-minutes advantage over the All Blacks as the series edge he's banking on.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Siya Kolisi
- Franco Mostert
- Lood de Jager
- Cape Town Stadium
- Manie Libbok
- Canan Moodie
- Rugby World Cup
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
Rassie Erasmus to receive Order of Ikhamanga — South Africa's highest national honour
Rassie Erasmus will receive the Order of Ikhamanga — South Africa's highest national honour — from President Cyril Ramaphosa at an investiture ceremony on 19 May, recognising his role in the Springboks' back-to-back World Cup titles and his contribution to national unity.
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.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.