VIDEO: Rassie reveals the rotation secret that benefits his flyhalves
Rassie Erasmus has been commended for the amazing depth he has built in the Springbok squad in recent years.
The amazing array of talent available to the world’s top-ranked team and defending World Cup champions is the envy of their rivals.
However, this is the result of a carefully orchestrated ‘rotation policy’ that ensures South Africa can select three teams of almost equal strength.
Speaking after the launch of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, Erasmus played down fears that the new venture could be bad for player welfare.
The Greatest Rivalry, an alternating quadrennial tour between South Africa and New Zealand, was confirmed on Thursday this week.
The venture marks a defining new chapter for the intense rivalry between the sport’s most successful and storied nations.
In the tour’s maiden year, South Africa will host New Zealand in August and September 2026.
The All Blacks kick off the tour against the Stormers in Cape Town, then take on the Sharks (Durban), Bulls (Pretoria) and Lions (Johannesburg), to complement a four-Test series against the Springboks.
Johannesburg, Cape Town and Soweto are confirmed as South African Test venues, preceding a landmark fourth Test hosted at a neutral international venue.
It was these additional matches that raised the question of ‘player welfare’, which Erasmus played down.
(WATCH as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus reveals just how many minutes each of the team’s three World-class flyhalves played…..)
South Africa used 48 players in 10 Tests in 2025, rotating and keeping fresh their valuable assets.
The player who played the most games was utility back Canan Moodie – starting at centre five times, left wing once, right wing once and coming off the bench once.
Erasmus said several players played five or six matches,
“I know people say that travelling with the team, training, will tire you out and make your body fragile,” the Bok coach said.
Erasmus used flyhalf as an example of how well his ‘rotation’ policy works.
Veteran flyhalf Handre Pollard played 250 minutes.
Manie Libbok is slightly higher with 289 minutes, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 305.
* @rugby365com added the last Rugby Championship Test’s data, as Erasmus’ numbers don’t include the Twickenham outing.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s time in the game amounts to just under four games, with Libbok at three-and-a-half games.
Pollard, who last featured against New Zealand in Auckland, is at three games.
The forwards have similar playing time.
“When they are with us, for 17 weeks, they play 10 games and we have seven weeks’ preparations,” Erasmus said.
“There is not one player who has played all 10 games.
“The average is probably five.”
@rugby365com
