As he plans for the season, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus says he will continue building squad depth and experience with an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The season starts at the end of the month with the Qatar Airways Cup clash against the Barbarians to be followed by the Incoming Series which will feature back-to-back Tests against Italy and Georgia in July.
Erasmus focused on depth in 2024 where he used 50 players in their 13 Test matches, while capping 12 new players, to ensure the longevity of experienced players.
Erasmus named nine uncapped players in his 55-man squad for the clash against the Barbarians — Cobus Wiese, Juarno Augustus, Marnus van der Merwe, Neethling Fouche, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Renzo du Plessis, Vincent Tshituka, Ethan Hooker and Ntokozo Makhaza.
“We would like to do something similar to last year, where the senior players and some of the younger players contribute on the field,” he said.
“We have players in the squad who could still play until 2026, but that does not negate that they can still deliver on the field for us. We have an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but our mindset this year will be fixed on trying to win all our matches while also broadening our squad depth and experience.
“Our goal is to ensure that by the next World Cup most of the players have more than 15 Test caps.”
The Springboks have been hard at work on the field this week and Erasmus is pleased with progress they have made.
“It has been going well. A few of the younger players are still finding their feet, while the players who have been in the set-up in the past few years have been determined to show they can maintain their form at this level.”
He added he is going to reduce the size of the squad next week after the United Rugby Championship (URC) final between Leinster and the Bulls at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night.
“We will wait to see if there are any injuries from the URC final and then announce the group of players on Sunday that will get together next week.”
“That said, it doesn’t mean those players are the only ones who will be in the mix this year. There are players who are returning from injury within the next few weeks and months and we would like to see some of the players who have been playing well get a chance this season.”
With their opening match of the season against the Barbarians about two weeks away, Erasmus said the focus in the next two weeks and in the match will be to get their structures in place as they prepare for a challenging international season.
“It’s difficult to plan around the Barbarians because they are a team consisting of players from many different countries, so our focus in that match will be our game and what we want to achieve,” he said.
“It will serve as a good opportunity for the players who have returned from Japan to get back into the swing of things and perhaps to give a few players who have not played Test rugby a feel of what it is to play at this level.”
Erasmus also gave an injury update that Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom are nursing long-term injuries.
But Gerhard Steenekamp, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Augustus and Lukhanyo Am have to be cleared medically before they will be available for selection.
Jasper Wiese, Grant Williams and Makazole Mapimpi, who are also carrying niggling injuries, are expected to return to action in the coming weeks.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.