In the high-stakes chess match of international rugby, Rassie Erasmus is not content to play the same moves twice. The Springbok head coach has once again reached into his tactical toolkit, promising fresh wrinkles and layered schemes as South Africa prepares to charge into the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
You’ve got to keep innovating. We’ve got one or two more plans and ideas up our sleeves. Opposition teams now know what we’re about and are developing systems to counter us. We’ll also definitely still use André Esterhuizen to continue in that hybrid role.
Erasmus, rugby’s master tactician and maverick general, addressed the media on Tuesday during the Springboks’ high-altitude conditioning camp in Johannesburg. His squad has been trimmed to a lean and hungry 37-man unit, battle-ready for their opening home Tests against the Wallabies at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium on August 16 and 23.
The mood in camp is upbeat, with all hands on deck.
Canan Moodie had a small hand niggle, like an infection, but he’s already back training with us. Cheslin [Kolbe] has a knee, but he should be training with us again from Monday.
The Bok camp, usually a fortress of seasoned warriors, has opened its gates to youth with an eye on the future. Three bright sparks from the Junior Springboks’ championship-winning cohort — Haashim Pead, Cheswill Jooste, and Bathobele Hlekani — have been invited to experience the inner sanctum of elite Test rugby.
With them, we’re looking at possibilities for the 2027 World Cup. They won’t play Test matches this year, and they know that. It’s just to see how quickly the young guys adapt to our environment and allowing them to participate in all our boardroom and field sessions is great for them to learn. We did the same with Ntokozo [Makhaza]. They are doing well and keeping up.
As the Springboks fine-tune their armoury, Erasmus remains realistic about the road ahead. Though satisfied with their opening strides, he’s aware of the potholes that could derail their run.
We’ve got to be careful. We’re facing an Australian side that will have more rounded players, and who play with greater intensity. After the British & Irish Lions series, whether it’s 3-0 or 2-1, they’ll be battle-ready. A competitive Australian team will come here, and we can’t underestimate them.
The Wallabies may be licking their wounds, but Erasmus expects them to arrive like wounded bulls in a china shop — unpredictable, angry, and dangerously explosive. The Springboks, meanwhile, must strike the perfect balance between muscle memory and meaningful evolution if they are to outflank the old foes from Down Under.
The Rugby Championship isn't just a tournament — it’s a trial by fire, a furnace in which tactics are tested, resolve is forged, and only the most adaptable survive. And in Erasmus, South Africa has a strategist who doesn’t just prepare for war — he rewrites the battlefield.
Rugby Championship Fixtures (SA times)
- 16 August: SA vs Australia – Ellis Park, Johannesburg (17:10);
- 23 August: SA vs Australia – Cape Town Stadium (17:10);
- 6 September: New Zealand vs SA – Eden Park, Auckland (09:05);
- 13 September: New Zealand vs SA – Sky Stadium, Wellington (09:05);
- 27 September: SA vs Argentina – Kings Park, Durban (17:10);
- 4 October: Argentina vs SA – Twickenham, London (15:00)
