Final selections highlight Rassie’s faith in new order

OPINION: Rassie Erasmus’ selection of younger players and newer combinations for a game of this magnitude will pay dividends for the Springboks in the short and long term.

Bok captain Siya Kolisi described last week’s clash against Argentina in Durban as a “semi-final”.

Having come through that match with a 67-30 victory, the Boks will play a “final” against the Pumas in London this Saturday.

There are all sorts of permutations ahead of the last round of the Rugby Championship, and at this stage, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are still in the running for the title.

The Boks have the advantage, though, due to their position at the top of the standings and the fact that they have a better points-difference (+55) than Australia (1) and New Zealand (-6).

Erasmus’ charges will know exactly what’s required by the time the final match of the tournament kicks off on Saturday afternoon.

Erasmus has rotated his squad regularly over the past five rounds, and it’s fair to say that the Boks played their best rugby and claimed their most emphatic results in Wellington and Durban, where they scored a total of 110 points and 15 tries.

The Bok coach may have been tempted to make significant changes ahead of the tournament decider at Twickenham, and favour a more conservative approach akin to the strategy that earned the side victory in the 2023 World Cup Final.

Instead, Erasmus has continued to back most of the players who excelled in Wellington and Durban – while acknowledging the need for balance across the respective age groups and with the various experience levels in mind.

Flyhalf has been a big talking point over the past two seasons, due to the number of outstanding options at Erasmus’ disposal.

The Bok coach went into the 2025 Rugby Championship with the intent to rotate his No.10s, and while all three received starting opportunities, one wonders if it was always the plan to start Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at Twickenham – given how well Manie Libbok and Handré Pollard have performed at the venue in previous seasons.

But how do you drop a player who scored 37 points in the previous Test?

Quite predictably, Erasmus has rewarded the multitalented back with another starting opportunity at No.10. Feinberg-Mngomezulu will have fond memories of London, too, having slotted a monster penalty goal on Test debut against Wales back in June 2024.

Crucially, Erasmus has persisted with the players around the 23-year-old.

Cobus Reinach – who’s featured in eight out of 10 games for the Boks this season, despite his advanced rugby age of 35 – starts at No.9 while another veteran in Damian de Allende (aged 33 with 92 caps) will support Feinberg-Mngomezulu from No 12.

It’s easy to forget that Canan Moodie is only 22, or that Ethan Hooker – also 22 – is only in his first year of international rugby.

Both have been outstanding over the past two matches – on attack, defence, and especially in the air.

Erasmus has been careful to retain a core of veterans in order to amplify the impact of these youngsters.

Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse have played in World Cup finals, a Lions series decider as well as other big fixtures over the years. The pair also happens to be in white-hot form.

The make-up of the starting pack comes as no surprise, given that prop Ox Nché would have started last week if not for a niggle.

Again, it’s easy to forget that Ruan Nortjie has a mere 12 caps to his name, and that a more experienced player like Jasper Wiese has missed most of the Test season due to suspension.

Both have added immense value to the Bok pack over the past few weeks, and it’s good to see the strongest available forward pack getting back-to-back opportunities as a combination.

One or two selections on the bench may raise a few eyebrows, but it’s another good mix of players.

Wilco Louw has flourished in that finishing tighthead prop role this season, and the versatile Jan-Hendrik Wessels (only 24 years of age with eight caps) has become as much of a Bomb Squad regular as Kwagga Smith and RG Snyman.

This week, Erasmus has included Bongi Mbonambi as the reserve hooker.

The double World Cup-winner has struggled for form in recent months, and last played for the Boks in the round-one loss to Australia.

Perhaps Mbonambi, Wessels and Louw will form part of a second-half strategy in London that targets the Pumas’ set-pieces.

The Boks bossed the scrums last week, but due to the flow of the game, they had relatively few opportunities to attack from the line-out or use their maul as a weapon.

Perhaps we will see more of that this Saturday – and it’s worth noting how potent the Bok maul was in the 35-7 victory against the All Blacks at Twickenham back in 2023.

The backline selections on the bench, of course, suggest that the Boks may continue to play at a lively tempo.

Grant Williams returns after an injury layoff, and Libbok, having found his attacking mojo in Wellington and Durban, gets the nod ahead of Handré Pollard in the finisher role.

It will be interesting to see which formation finishes the game.

Over the past two rounds, the Boks have scored more tries and points in the second stanza – essentially with their finishing combination on the pitch.

Jesse Kriel should slot in at outside centre later in the game, allowing Moodie to move one channel out.

It will be fascinating to see whether Libbok takes charge at flyhalf and whether Feinberg-Mngomezulu drops to fullback, with Willemse possibly moving to No.12.

The Boks coach has been bold with his selections over the course of the Rugby Championship, but has always been mindful of the balance across the age profiles.

The opportunity to rack up another big win is certainly there this Saturday, but the fact that it’s a final – with a trophy on the line as well as an opportunity to make history – will add to the pressure.

In a sense, it’s a chance for some of the younger players to clinch a “final”, and show Erasmus why they will add value in the future marquee matches – and at the 2027 World Cup itself.