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Rassie likens debutant Moyo to Pollard ahead of Wales Test
Rassie Erasmus has likened uncapped flyhalf Vusi Moyo to Handré Pollard as four debutants prepare to face Wales on Saturday.
Five takeaways from Erasmus's bold Wales selection — and what the 5:3 bench signals about where the Boks are heading
Planet Rugby unpacks why Erasmus's Wales selection is more than injury-driven tinkering — four debutants are carefully scaffolded by experienced teammates, while the rare 5:3 bench split signals a genuine structural commitment to the Boks' new attacking identity.
Pollard at 12 isn't an emergency — it's a World Cup plan
Erasmus has spent four weeks preparing Pollard to cover inside centre, and Saturday's shift against Scotland was the live test. The piece makes the case that a Pollard-at-12 option gives the Boks a genuine World Cup tactical weapon — freeing up the No.10 jersey for a more attacking option without losing control or defensive structure.
Horn credits Pollard for easing flyhalf transition in Bok win over Scotland
Quan Horn has described how Handré Pollard helped him thrive in the flyhalf role during the Springboks' 42-28 win over Scotland, with the arrangement part of a planned second-half experiment by Rassie Erasmus as he maps out World Cup combinations.
Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall: Boks, France and All Blacks are in a squad depth class of their own
Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall argue that the Boks, France and All Blacks occupy a different tier of squad depth — using the Nations Championship round two results to show that all three can rotate heavily and still win convincingly. Marshall's specific point on South Africa: the fact that it was 14-all at half-time against Scotland, before a largely second-string Bok side found a way through, is exactly the kind of problem-solving under pressure Erasmus will value most.
Warburton sees only five certainties as Tandy reshapes Wales for the Boks
Tandy is set for a major reshuffle before facing the Boks, with Warburton identifying only five certain starters in the Welsh XV.
De Villiers voted Bok MVP after Loftus demolition of Scotland
Paul de Villiers claimed the fan-voted Bok MVP award after the Springboks beat Scotland 42-28 at Loftus Versfeld.
Hits & Misses: Scotland earn respect at Loftus, Women Boks stumble at the finish line
Scotland pushed the Boks harder than the 42-28 scoreline suggests, the Women Boks let a series win slip through ill-discipline, Will Jordan broke the All Blacks try-scoring record, and France made history in Brisbane — Wynona Louw's weekend review covers the highs and lows.
Erasmus relieved as experimental Springboks survive Scotland scare at Loftus
A heavily rotated Springbok side weathered a spirited Scotland challenge to claim a 42-28 victory in the Nations Championship at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Rassie Erasmus made 10 changes from the England win, fielding 12 players with fewer than 10 caps, and watched his side surrender two separate leads before pulling clear in the second half. The result keeps South Africa atop the Southern Hemisphere conference on points difference from New Zealand.
Erasmus satisfied with 'learning while winning' after Boks survive Scotland scare at Loftus
A 10-change Springbok side beat Scotland 42-28 at Loftus in the Nations Championship, surviving a series of Scottish counter-attacks to stay top of the Southern Hemisphere conference on points difference from New Zealand. Erasmus defended the mass rotation, citing squad depth development with 12 players in the match-day group carrying fewer than 10 caps.
Boks lead the Nations Championship depth race — and it's not close
Rich argues the Boks' true edge in the Nations Championship is squad depth and player rotation — with Erasmus having fielded 25 different starters across two tests compared to England's 17 and New Zealand's 19, the piece makes the case that South Africa is turning this competition into purposeful World Cup preparation while rival coaches, particularly Borthwick, lack the security to do the same.
Rassie's Boks at one extreme, Rennie's All Blacks at the other: the kicking spectrum that's reshaping Test rugby
The hosts argue that South Africa's attacking kicking game, backed by striking round-one statistics, places the Boks at a structurally different level to the All Blacks' phase-heavy approach — and that New Zealand's refusal to adapt is already showing up in results.
De Allende eyed for Stormers return as Lions land Du Preez and Notshe
The Stormers are pursuing Damian de Allende as a replacement for the outgoing Dan du Plessis, while the Lions have secured JP du Preez from Red Hurricanes and are set to add Sikhumbuzo Notshe from relegated Montauban. Jannes Kirsten, meanwhile, leaves the Bulls for French Championnat Fédéral Nationale side Mont-de-Marsan.
Yellow card aside, Dixon is cementing his place in Erasmus's long-term thinking
Dixon's yellow card against Scotland was costly but Bester argues it shouldn't obscure the bigger picture — his gain-line impact, breakdown work, and lock/blindside versatility keep him firmly in Erasmus's long-term plans despite a turbulent 2025 off the field.
Dixon warns Wales duel will be no easier than Scotland grind
Ben-Jason Dixon, capped for the ninth time off the bench in the 42-28 Nations Championship win over Scotland, has flagged Wales as a formidable closing challenge for the first leg in Durban next Saturday, citing their defensive resilience and kicking game while reflecting on the Springboks' 10th straight Test win.
All Blacks trialling Vaa'i at blindside — and the Boks are the reason
Jeff Wilson reads Rennie's Vaa'i-at-flanker experiment as a Bok-specific tactic — more size, potentially a 6-2 bench split. Marshall pushes back, arguing Vaa'i belongs at lock and that the real problem is Savea's absence from the base of the scrum.
Townsend concedes bench call cost Scotland as Springboks extend winning run to ten
Scotland pushed the Springboks to half-time parity before falling 42-28 in Pretoria, with Gregor Townsend conceding he used his bench too late as South Africa extended their winning run to ten Tests and completed a clean sweep of northern and southern hemisphere nations over the past calendar year.
De Villiers and Horn have done enough to earn Bomb Squad spots against the All Blacks
Cardinelli argues the Scotland win, messy as it was, delivered two clear answers for Erasmus: De Villiers is ready to fill the Kwagga void in the Bomb Squad, and Horn's versatility opens up a six-two split option for the All Blacks series.
Erasmus got the answers he wanted from the Scotland experiment — and won
Erasmus used Scotland as a deliberate pressure test for 12 low-capped players, explaining why tier-one opposition gives him answers that Georgia can't. He also got a specific result on Pollard at inside centre — four weeks of training validated in a live Test, man of the match included.
Kriel, Nortjé and du Toit make the cut — but Russell steals the show in Planet Rugby's round 2 Team of the Week
Planet Rugby's round 2 Team of the Week includes Kriel, Nortjé and Porthen for South Africa, with du Toit, Pollard and Willemse among the runners-up — but Finn Russell takes Player of the Week honours despite Scotland's defeat at Loftus, in what the piece rates as the finest performance of his career.