Rassie Erasmus: Springboks Coach Confirms His Half Back Pairing to Face All Blacks at Ellis Park

• Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed his halfback pairing for Saturday's Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park
• Erasmus explained why five-cap Cobus Wiese was preferred on the bench over World Cup winners Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager
• The Bok coach revealed his thinking on managing player fitness across the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has thrown his full support behind flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Grant Williams ahead of Saturday's opening Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, the first match in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.

Erasmus spoke to reporters on Thursday, a day after naming his squad, defending what he described as a genuinely difficult selection process across multiple positions.

Halfback selection was no easy call

Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned to the starting line-up two weeks ago against Argentina after recovering from an ankle injury. The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2025 campaign, setting a Springbok record for a flyhalf with nine tries, including a hat-trick and a 37-point haul against Los Pumas in one match.

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Erasmus acknowledged the difficulty of selecting between Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok and Handré Pollard at flyhalf. He faces a similar selection dilemma at scrumhalf, with Grant Williams competing alongside Morné van den Berg, Cobus Reinach and Herschel Jantjies.

Erasmus praised Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s impact for the Springboks, highlighting his strong performances and recalling that he started at flyhalf when South Africa defeated New Zealand in Wellington last year.

He also stressed that the decision to pair Feinberg-Mngomezulu with Williams was not simply based on their familiarity from playing together at the Stormers. Instead, Erasmus explained that selection was determined by which players best understood the team’s plans and had performed strongest in training.

Wiese preferred over Mostert and De Jager

The decision to name Cobus Wiese among the replacements ahead of World Cup winners Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager raised plenty of eyebrows. Rassie Erasmus explained that the choice was largely influenced by concerns over the fitness levels of both experienced locks.

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Mostert has played only four minutes of rugby since picking up an ankle injury during the Barbarians match on 20 June. De Jager, meanwhile, has endured several injury setbacks over the past seven to eight months and played around 40 minutes from the bench against Argentina in his first appearance for the Springboks in 2026.

Erasmus said the coaching and strength and conditioning teams are working closely with both players to bring them up to full match fitness. He also pointed to lessons from the 2021 British and Irish Lions series, which highlighted the importance of managing players carefully during a demanding multi-match campaign.

The Springboks coach explained that while Mostert and De Jager may have been capable of playing, risking them in the opening match could leave the team with several players carrying injuries by the third game of the series.

Erasmus also indicated that the Springboks could rotate their squad, with a positive result on Saturday potentially allowing the coaching staff to make changes before the second Test.

Ackermann warns All Blacks ahead of Springboks tie

Briefly News also reported that Bulls coach Johan Ackermann had identified a potential weakness in the All Blacks after their emphatic 50–19 victory at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 15 August 2026.

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Ackermann believes New Zealand may not enjoy the same freedom when they face a more experienced and match-ready Springboks side at Ellis Park on Saturday, 22 August.

Source: Briefly News