With Erasmus having signalled a major overhaul for the Perth Test, Planet Rugby runs through the likely selection calls. The headline experiment is Willemse shifting back into the midfield alongside Moodie, opening the door for Fassi at fullback and restoring something close to the Wellington-era backline. Pollard's return from injury makes him the frontrunner at flyhalf — either directly or off the bench — while SFM is expected to be rested. In the pack, Hanekom gets another start at eight with du Toit rested, Mostert comes back into the second row alongside Etzebeth, and Grobbelaar likely replaces Marx at hooker. The front-row depth question is real — Sadie, Venter, and Mchunu were released to their clubs before Baltimore, leaving thinner cover for Perth. The Bomb Squad structure stays 6-2 with van Staden and de Jager among the forward options, Pollard and Libbok splitting the backline cover.
Willemse at 12, Pollard back — how the Boks' XV could look against the Wallabies
Planet Rugby predicts a wholesale Bok reshuffle for Perth — Willemse back to 12, Fassi at 15, Pollard returning at 10, and a revamped forward pack with Hanekom, Mostert, and Grobbelaar all coming in.
Boks' Ellis Park demolition of England reveals genuine depth — and sharp halftime adaptability
Cardinelli argues the Ellis Park rout matters less for the scoreline than for what it revealed: a Bok group capable of genuine halftime tactical adjustment — the quality conspicuously absent in the 2025 Wallabies loss — while operating well short of their first-choice squad. The piece weighs what the win tells us about depth, Libbok's revival, and the fringe players who will matter when the All Blacks series rotation bites.
Five Boks in Round One Team of the Week as Willemse Claims Player of the Weekend
South Africa dominate Planet Rugby's Round One Team of the Week with five selections, headlined by Willemse's Player of the Weekend on his 50th cap and strong showings from Marx, both Du Toits, Kriel and a debut-making De Villiers.
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.
Why 'Gazza' Willemse is the insurance policy Bok fans should trust
Rich maps the 2022 injury-to-opportunity parallel to argue that Libbok and Willemse provide Erasmus real cover at 10 — and that Bok fans fretting about Feinberg-Mngomezulu's absence are underselling the depth already in the system.
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.