Honesty Rassie’s best policy: Bok coach explains how to keep 45 players happy

Honesty, Rassie Erasmus contends, is the best policy in pacifying a group of young men all tugging at the leash to represent the Springboks.

The head coach explained the rationale behind rotating and refreshing his squad after he named a match-day 23 that shows 10 changes for Saturday's clash against the Wallabies in Perth.

The Boks have a group of 33 players for the two Tests in Australia, while their wider group consists of 45. It has been Erasmus' policy from the outset when he took the coaching reins in 2018 to regularly rotate his squad. In fact, tighthead prop Wilco Louw holds the distinction of being the only player to be retained in the starting team in Erasmus' second Test in charge six years ago.

Making wholesale or key changes hasn't always worked out in the Boks' favour but two Rugby World Cup campaigns suggests they are content playing the long game over instant gratification.

With that, however, comes the obligation to keep his entire squad content, even if it affects the players' bottom line.

“Honesty is the best thing,” said Erasmus. “We have a saying, ‘we are all going to eat at the end.’”

He conceded the best coaching system would be rendered irrelevant if the players did not all buy into the process.

“In crunch matches we will go for our inform best 23. We know the guys now. We are not here for the individual or personal accolades but for South Africa. Having the right guys on the bus makes a big difference.”

The selection policy is glaringly illustrated this week with regular captain Siya Kolisi left out of the match-day 23 for Saturday's clash at the Optus Stadium.

Kolisi led the Boks to an emphatic 33-7 victory but has had to make way for Marco van Staden as lock Salmaan Moerat takes the captaincy armband.

Of the younger players in the group, Moerat at 26, appears to be in pole position to be groomed for the job once Kolisi departs the scene. However, fellow front jumping lock Eben Etzebeth holds the jersey that will grant him passage. Unseating Etzebeth is a very tall order.

Erasmus is keen to downplay the leadership pecking order. He explained that hooker Bongi Mbonambi has worn the armband (twice), Etzebeth (14 times), that centres Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende have been vice-captain and that utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit (twice) is one of the influential leaders in the group.

“We have guys that take certain leadership responsibilities. We have people growing into positions,” said Erasmus.

Though keen not to overstate the significance of Moerat getting the armband for a second time, Erasmus ran the rule over a player he has seen develop the last decade.

“We know Salmaan, we've come a long way, through the EPD [elite player development system], Craven Week, the Junior Boks. I'm not saying he's the best captain in the group of 33 but this will help him grow. He is an outstanding captain. Pieter-Steph [Du Toit] having captained recently will help him with decision-making,” Erasmus explained.

The fullness of time will reveal how significant Moerat's current elevation is.

Though Erasmus knows the redeeming qualities of a winning habit but he is prepared to keep an eye on the prize on the horizon. He has lost battles against Wales twice (Washington 2018, Bloemfontein 2022), the All Blacks (Johannesburg 2022) when practical implications and spreading game time were moved up the priority list.

More often than not, however, he has come up trumps. Moreover, two Rugby World Cup triumphs make for a compelling case for chosen his strategy.