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Mthethwa praises Junior Boks' composure after fightback win over England
The Junior Springboks overcame an eight-point half-time deficit to beat England 53-37 in the Junior World Championship semi-final, with attack coach Melusi Mthethwa crediting the squad's composure and second-half accuracy. Wing Khuthadzo Rasivhaga scored three tries as the SA U20s set up a final against France on Saturday.
Erasmus splits the squad: Argentina gets a proper team, but the All Blacks prep starts now
Erasmus is running a deliberate two-track operation — a full-strength group heads to Argentina while a separate contingent stays home to prep for the All Blacks, with player management decisions like resting Du Toit already pointing to where the real priority lies.
Mthethwa hails Junior Boks' composure after fightback win over England
Junior Springbok attack coach Melusi Mthethwa praised the squad's composure and second-half precision after the SA U20s came from 20-12 down at halftime to beat England 53-37 and reach the Junior World Championship final against France, with wing Khuthadzo Rasivhaga scoring a hat-trick.
Sadie Set for Debut as Springbok Tighthead Depth Defies Global Norms
Carlu Sadie is poised to make his Test debut against Wales in Durban, the latest beneficiary of South Africa's extraordinary depth at tighthead prop. With Frans Malherbe unlikely to return and Vincent Koch nearing retirement, the Springboks have seamlessly integrated Zachary Porthen, Wilco Louw and Thomas du Toit into their front-row rotation. Rassie Erasmus has praised Sadie's work ethic ahead of his first cap, while Du Toit sits out the Wales fixture after a heavy workload with Bath.
Hansen: Boks are building a 'we don't care who we pick' squad depth
Hansen praises Erasmus's deliberate depth-building strategy, framing it as a 'we don't care who we pick' confidence born of having elite anchors in key positions — and the Scotland win, despite a massive cap deficit, is his exhibit A.
Sadie's debut is a symptom of Boks' tighthead embarrassment
Rich argues that Sadie's scramble just to get a debut cap — despite being a Champions Cup winner — is the sharpest illustration of the Boks' extraordinary tighthead depth, with Porthen, Louw and a returning Du Toit all ahead of him in Erasmus's pecking order.
Rassie is right: World Rugby's new referee protocols may have made a bad situation worse
World Rugby's post-Lions-series referee protocols have backfired, Nel argues — the new system prevents private pre-game meetings and forces post-game concerns onto a shared platform, leaving coaches with no real avenue for quiet resolution and creating the conditions for exactly the kind of public blowups it was meant to stop.
Six and a Half Out of Ten: Hosts Warn of a Defensive Trend After Scotland Scare
The panel scored the Boks a 6.5 out of 10, flagging a defensive trend of 12 tries conceded in three games while crediting Paul de Villiers and the bench's composure for seeing off a Scotland side that arguably deserved more.
Erasmus: Springboks will play for Makwedini and Adams
Rassie Erasmus has dedicated the Wales Test to Luqobo Makwedini, the 20-year-old former SA U18 prop who collapsed and died during training with AS Béziers Hérault on Friday, and Bafana Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams, who was found dead in Cape Town on Saturday.
Junior Springboks rout England 53-37 to reach JWC final after red-card turning point
The Junior Springboks reached the JWC final with a 53-37 win over England, with Seb Kelly's 32nd-minute red card for a headbutt on Luan Giliomee proving the turning point. Rasivhaga scored a hat-trick and Kebotile Maake crossed twice as South Africa ran away with the match. They face France in the final.
Why Rassie's Wales selection is about more than just respect for the opposition
Rich unpacks the layered logic behind Erasmus's experienced-heavy selection for the Wales clash — veteran inclusions are there to protect a raft of debutants, while Fassi gets a low-stakes home game to rediscover form before the Lions series.
Sadie extends Bordeaux deal ahead of expected Bok debut against Wales
Carlu Sadie has extended his Bordeaux-Bègles contract through 2029 and is in line for his Springbok Test debut against Wales this weekend.
Papier's Scotland masterclass makes the Bok No.9 debate very interesting
Louw makes the case that Papier's Scotland performance was no fluke — his Bulls stats demanded the recall, and his try-scoring instinct and composure in a tight Test suggest he's earned more than a cameo role going into the RWC27 cycle.
Roos vs Louw: The numbers behind the No.8 debate
A stat-driven breakdown of Roos vs Louw's Scotland cameos finds little separating them on numbers — but argues Louw's positional flexibility and defensive profile fit Erasmus's Test blueprint better than Roos's system-dependent power game.
Kelly's red card turns the tide as Junior Boks dismantle England 53-37
Kelly's 32nd-minute headbutt red card handed the Junior Springboks a numerical advantage they didn't need — South Africa were already the superior side and duly proved it, running in eight tries to reach the final where they'll face France for back-to-back titles.
De Villiers backs Springbok structures after impressive two-Test start
Paul de Villiers reflects on back-to-back strong Test performances after his last-minute debut call-up against England, crediting the Springbok environment and South Africa's player development pathway ahead of Saturday's clash with Wales.
Foote praises Junior Springboks' maturity after fightback win over England sets up JWC final
Kevin Foote credited the Junior Springboks' maturity and depth after a fightback victory over England sealed their place in the Junior World Championship final in Tbilisi on Saturday.
Why Carlü Sadie has earned his Bok shot at tighthead
Erasmus is bullish on Carlü Sadie at tighthead while dealing with disappointing news around Kai Pratt — Hermanus breaks down what it means for the Bok prop stocks.
Junior Boks rally from eight down to reach second successive U20 final
The Junior Springboks will defend their World Rugby Under-20 Championship crown on Saturday after overcoming England 53-37 in a hard-fought semi-final in Tbilisi. Trailing 20-12 at the interval, Kevin Foote's side produced a composed second-half performance to set up a title decider against France. The victory was built on another tireless forward effort, with Khuthadzo Rasivhaga crossing three times and Yaqeen Ahmed contributing 23 points.
Junior Boks into U-20 World Championship final after stunning second-half demolition of England
The Junior Springboks overturned a 20-12 halftime deficit to beat England 53-37 in Tbilisi and advance to the U-20 World Championship final, where they will meet France on Saturday in defence of their title. Khuthadzo Rasivhaga scored a hat-trick and Yaqeen Ahmed contributed 23 points, while Luan Giliomee faces a potential final ban after his yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red.