Gavin Rich's piece reveals a clear strategic thread running through Erasmus's team management ahead of the four-test RGR series against the All Blacks. Erasmus is openly framing game one at Ellis Park not as a must-win, but as the opening move in a rotation chess match — he expects the series to be decided in test three or four, and he's building his squad management around that. Kolisi, Mostert and De Jager are all being held back or managed carefully with that endgame in mind, and Erasmus has flagged that a significantly changed side will run out in Cape Town regardless of what happens in Johannesburg. His key competitive edge argument is telling: the All Blacks have racked up an average of 200 playing minutes per man over the past six weeks versus 130 for the Boks — Erasmus sees fresher legs as a structural advantage as the series grinds into weeks three and four. He's also backing his depth, pointing to Libbok and Moodie's records in big Bok wins, and is anticipating six to seven injuries per camp before the decider arrives. Rich's piece captures an Erasmus who is deliberately playing a longer game, and the 2021 Lions series comeback is clearly front of mind as a precedent for absorbing early pressure.
Rassie's series plan: sacrifice game one, win the war
Erasmus is managing this RGR series as a four-test campaign, not a single-game crisis — deliberately holding back Kolisi, Mostert and De Jager, flagging heavy rotation for Cape Town, and backing fresher legs and superior depth to be decisive when the series reaches its business end.
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.
Erasmus welcomes clarity on Tony Brown's post-2027 departure: 'We've made the mistake in the past'
Tony Brown will join the All Blacks coaching staff in 2028 after his Springbok contract expires at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus welcoming the early clarity as SA Rugby looks to avoid the contractual uncertainty that complicated preparations for France 2023.
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.
Springboks Through Irish Eyes: Gráinne Seoige on Loftus, Rassie, and Why SA Rugby Is Unlike Anything Else
Irish TV personality Gráinne Seoige tells the Lekker Rugby Pod that walking into Loftus for the 2024 Ireland test was the most intimidating rugby atmosphere she has ever experienced, and argues that Rassie Erasmus's cultural transformation of Springbok rugby is a bigger achievement than the World Cup wins.
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.