With Erasmus having flagged a wholesale overhaul for the Perth Test, Planet Rugby runs through the likely selections. The most intriguing call is Willemse shifting from fullback to inside centre — an experiment Erasmus has been eager to revisit — which would open the 15 jersey for Fassi and potentially recreate the backline from Wellington last year, with Moodie alongside Willemse in midfield. Pollard's return from injury sees him tipped to start at 10 ahead of a rested SFM, with Williams back at 9. Up front, the expected rotation sees Grobbelaar replace Marx, Hanekom retain the 8 jersey in the same back row as the Argentina Test, and Mostert returning from injury to partner Etzebeth. The bench is shaped by the fact that Sadie, Venter, and Mchunu were released after the RGR series, thinning the loosehead cover and likely keeping the 6-2 split in place with van Staden and Esterhuizen among the forwards.
Willemse to 12, Pollard back, Marx retained — Planet Rugby's Bok XV for Perth
Planet Rugby predicts a heavily rotated Bok XV for Perth, with the headline move being Willemse trialled at 12, Pollard returning at 10, and a reshuffled pack built around the players who sat out the RGR 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.
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.
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.
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.