Rassie Erasmus Takes Decision on Springboks Squad Ahead of Ties Against Argentina and All Blacks
- Rassie Erasmus confirmed plans to divide the Springbok squad following their perfect opening Nations Championship block
- Several injured players, including Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Siya Kolisi, are nearing returns ahead of the All Blacks series
- Eben Etzebeth continues his concussion recovery with Argentina fixtures set as his target comeback
Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that the Springboks will operate as a divided unit heading into their next fixture, with 26 players travelling to Buenos Aires for a one-off Test against Argentina. At the same time, a separate group stays home to begin preparation for the All Blacks series.
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The announcement follows the Springboks' victory over Wales, which rounded off a clean sweep across the opening block of Nations Championship fixtures against England, Scotland and Wales.
Erasmus outlines the split-squad plan
Speaking after the Wales match, Erasmus laid out the logistics for the coming weeks.
"Our plans will be maybe somewhere the guys will have a week off, then 26 guys will go to Argentina," he said. "Fifteen or 16 guys will stay behind, one or two rehabbing, and they will start training for New Zealand. A few coaches will stay behind with them."
The arrangement is designed to serve two purposes: giving fringe players meaningful Test minutes in Argentina while allowing the coaching staff to carefully manage the workload of players returning from injury ahead of what Erasmus regards as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.
Key players targeting All Blacks comeback
Several key Springbok players are set to boost the squad ahead of the upcoming series against New Zealand. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and centre André Esterhuizen are both expected to return, while captain Siya Kolisi and experienced lock Lood de Jager are also closing in on full fitness.
Eben Etzebeth, meanwhile, will not be rushed back into action as he continues his recovery from a concussion. The veteran lock is now targeting the Rugby Championship clashes against Argentina for his return, in line with the timeline previously outlined by Rassie Erasmus.
Erasmus stressed that the outcome of the Springboks' opening three Tests was never the primary objective, with the focus instead placed on building depth and preparing the squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The Wales Test saw four more players earn their first international caps, while players such as Cobus Wiese and Paul de Villiers continued to gain valuable experience at Test level.
Reflecting on the team's progress, Erasmus said each performance had shown noticeable improvement despite the disruption caused by extensive squad rotation. He highlighted advances in key areas, including the scrum, line-out and maul defence, adding that the team had addressed several important issues and taken another positive step forward.
Erasmus names four players who impressed against Wales
Briefly News earlier reported that Rassie Erasmus hailed four players who impressed in the Springboks' win over Wales in Durban on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
Wing Jaco Williams crossed for a try and contributed to another, while prop Carlu Sadie impressed in the scrums and lock Ruben van Heerden was dominant at lineout time.
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Source: Briefly News
