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Rassie backs new-look Bok combinations to handle Scotland
Erasmus has made changes for the Scotland Test and is confident the new combinations have the depth to handle a dangerous Scots side — the piece unpacks his selection logic.
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.
Nations Championship Round 1: Boks set the benchmark, Japan turn heads
Louw's Nations Championship round-one review crowns the Boks as the weekend's benchmark-setters and flags Japan's Italy upset as the competition's first real surprise — while taking aim at the scheduling call that denies Japan a home fixture against Ireland.
Wrong Damian collects the award as broadcaster blunder mars Willemse's milestone night
A SuperSport broadcast error saw Damian de Allende collect the man of the match award intended for Damian Willemse, who delivered a standout performance in his 50th Test as the Springboks defeated England 45-21 at Ellis Park.
Boks look settled while rivals scramble to reinvent for 2027
Rich uses the Nations Championship opener to map the state of play in the global race to catch the Boks — covering England's crisis, the All Blacks' tactical reset under Rennie, Australia's growing threat, and Scotland's form ahead of Loftus.
Kolbe's Ellis Park masterclass leaves England voices purring
Youngs and Cole can't stop talking about Kolbe's demolition of Murley at Ellis Park — the piece breaks down the moment and why it signals more victims to come.
The 45-21 win over England has bought Erasmus the licence to rotate — and Scotland is just the start
The England win has given Erasmus the platform he's always said he needs to experiment — Rich unpacks where the rotation will likely fall against Scotland, who warrants it and who still demands respect in the selection.
Johannesburg win gives Erasmus the runway to rotate and experiment
Rich argues the England win has given Erasmus exactly the platform he said he needed to experiment freely — the Scotland team announcement will be the first test of how boldly he uses it, with specific cases made for Papier, Mchunu, Porthen, and Willemse at 12.
Hanekom's Springbok return sweeter after career-threatening injury scare
Cameron Hanekom earned his second Springbok cap against England after overcoming a career-threatening hamstring injury, stepping into the starting XV at late notice following the pre-match withdrawals of Kolisi and Etzebeth.
Mallett: Borthwick's Pollock 'nonsense' cost England, while Willemse was robbed of Player of the Match
Mallett argues Borthwick's handling of Pollock is fundamentally flawed — comparing it to how Erasmus brought Feinberg-Mngomezulu through — while crediting Willemse as the Boks' standout and praising the rookies who stepped up after the Etzebeth and Kolisi injuries.
England escaped a 3-0 series whitewash — but Kitson asks the harder question
Kitson uses England's 45-21 dismantling in Johannesburg to question whether Borthwick's side is genuinely progressing — and flags the Fiji fixture as a revealing next checkpoint.
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.
Youngs: Boks exposed England's aerial disconnect — and it started long before kick-off
Youngs argues England's 45-21 defeat felt structurally inevitable — their aerial strategy was incoherent, the kicker-chaser disconnect handed the Boks dominance from the first whistle, and a systemic midfield rethink is needed ahead of Fiji.
Willemse credits Jantjies, Bok mentors after reaching 50-Test milestone at Ellis Park
Damian Willemse marked his 50th Test cap with one of his finest Springbok performances as South Africa opened their Nations Championship campaign with a 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park, crediting mentors including Elton Jantjies, Handré Pollard and several Bok greats for shaping his game across multiple positions.
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.
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.
Halftime flashbacks and World Cup depth: Rassie's takeaways from the England win
Erasmus drew a direct line between last year's Australia collapse and his halftime intervention against England, while framing the 45-21 win — achieved with an underdone, reshaped side — as evidence his depth-building plan is on track for 2027.
Kolbe marks Test 50 with a try — but says the Boks have work to do
Kolbe's 50th Test brought a try and a reality check — he's clear-eyed that a 45-21 scoreline flatters where the Boks actually are, flagging the aerial battle, structural discipline, and execution as priorities heading into the next Nations Championship fixture.
Mallett: The 45-21 scoreline was misleading
Mallett contends the 45-21 result overstated the Boks' dominance over England, with the game closer than the scoreboard indicates.