Rassie Erasmus’ Loyalty to Old Guard Could Cost Springboks at 2027 World Cup
- South Africa’s latest triumph has raised an unexpected question about Rassie Erasmus’ selection strategy
- A New Zealand writer believes the Boks’ biggest strength could create a problem when the World Cup arrives
- Erasmus has already shown faith in his established players during a demanding 2026 campaign
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Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks formula has delivered another major result, but a New Zealand writer believes the coach’s reliance on his trusted players could present a surprising challenge at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The warning comes after South Africa secured a 3-1 victory over the All Blacks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. The Springboks won 43-28 in Baltimore on Saturday, 12 September 2026, to claim the series outright.
Writing for the New Zealand Herald, Paul Lewis praised South Africa’s quality but questioned whether Erasmus is giving his wider squad enough exposure in the biggest matches.
“You’d expect the flame of ambition to fade a little after back-to-back World Cup successes. Nope,” Lewis wrote as reported by SA Rugby Magazine.
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“However, that outstanding Boks lineup may be its own weakness.”
Rassie Erasmus continues to trust experience
There is some context behind Lewis’ argument. For the Baltimore decider, Erasmus made only 2 changes to the starting XV that had beaten New Zealand in Johannesburg. Damian Willemse replaced the injured Cheslin Kolbe, while Morné van den Berg came into the side.
That followed 4 changes and one positional switch for the third Test, showing a clear move towards continuity as the series progressed. Lewis argues that Erasmus has built considerable depth but can still return to his established options when the pressure increases.
“Rassie Erasmus has built depth but the replacements have the expertise and experience of the old guard … but he, not surprisingly, tends to default to his tried and true, a year older by World Cup time,” he wrote.
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Springboks have already developed new options
The picture is more complicated than simply an old guard versus newcomers. Erasmus has said South Africa deliberately built depth ahead of 2027. He pointed to players such as Ruan Nortje, Ben-Jason Dixon and Cobus Wiese as examples of players who received opportunities during an injury-hit period.
The Baltimore victory also featured strong contributions from younger players, including van den Berg and Cameron Hanekom. Meanwhile, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has become part of the flyhalf conversation alongside Handré Pollard and Manie Libbok.
Erasmus has therefore continued to develop alternatives while retaining the experience that has produced back-to-back World Cup triumphs.
Lewis believes that balance will be tested again in 2027.
“This, right now, is Rennie’s time, when he really goes to work,” he wrote, referring to All Blacks coach Dave Rennie.
The Springboks’ challenge is clear: preserve the winning formula while ensuring their next generation is ready when the stakes are highest.
Springboks veterans face another 2027 question
Briefly News previously reported that Jake White had raised concerns about the physical demands being placed on several experienced Springboks during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
The 2007 World Cup-winning coach questioned how much more players such as Malcolm Marx, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi could give after a demanding run of Tests.
That concern now adds another layer to the wider debate about Rassie Erasmus’ reliance on his experienced core ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
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Source: Briefly News
