Planet Rugby runs through the selection logic Steve Tandy faces ahead of Saturday's Test in Durban, arguing that experience against a Springbok side fielding four debutants should be the decisive factor in the close calls. The predicted backline brings Rees-Zammit back into the starting three alongside Murray and Adams, with Edwards preferred over Costelow at fly-half and Tomos Williams pulling the strings at nine — a combination built for the expansive style Tandy and attack coach Matt Sherratt want to run. The centres pick themselves, with James and Hawkins now looking like an established pairing. Up front, the pack changes little from the Argentina Test beyond the enforced switch at hooker, with Lake's groin injury opening the door for Elias to start and Morgan to captain the side. The piece frames this selection as consequential beyond Saturday — Tandy's choices now, the argument goes, will shape his squad spine through the Nations Championship, the Six Nations, and into World Cup planning.
Rees-Zammit back in, Edwards at 10 — how Wales are likely to line up in Durban
Planet Rugby's predicted Wales XV for Durban puts Rees-Zammit back in the starting backline alongside a settled centre pairing, with Edwards at 10 and Morgan captaining in Lake's absence — and argues Tandy's selection calculus here will echo well beyond this single Test.
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.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
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: 'We don't see the Nations Championship as a competition'
Erasmus says the Boks won't adjust their approach to chase Nations Championship log points — each Test is treated as a standalone match, with squad rotation across the window as the priority over competition standings.
Smith vows England will 'leave it all out there' against Springboks
Marcus Smith says England's 36-man squad, arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday, are targeting a historic win over the Springboks in the Nations Championship opener, having trained in oxygen masks to prepare for the Highveld.