Sir Graham Henry Praises Rassie Erasmus for Bold Selection Philosophy With Springboks
- The Springboks coach has earned praise for a selection strategy that puts squad depth and international experience to the test
- South Africa’s defeat in Perth highlighted the risks of making sweeping changes to a starting XV
- The former All Blacks coach has also explained what makes the world champions stand out on and off the field
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Sir Graham Henry has praised Rassie Erasmus for prioritising Springbok squad development, even when his selection decisions risk defeat. The former All Blacks coach believes South Africa’s depth, rotation policy and experience have helped establish the team as one of the strongest sides in world rugby.
Henry, now a selector under New Zealand coach Dave Rennie, watched South Africa defeat the All Blacks in three consecutive Tests after losing the opening match of their four-Test series. However, the Springboks later lost 42-38 to Australia in Perth on 27 September 2026.
Why Sir Graham Henry admires Rassie Erasmus
According to Planet Rugby, Henry believes Erasmus has built a squad capable of competing across multiple matches by giving more players meaningful international experience.
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“Oh, for sure. I think he’s got it well sorted,” Henry told Martin Devlin on DSPN.
“He has got rotation; we used to have rotation, so he’s got a lot of depth. He’s prepared to play players and give them confidence; that’s very important.”
Henry explained that selecting a large touring squad means little if some players never get opportunities to play. He praised Erasmus for maintaining three or four options in each position, with several players developing into stars.
Springboks' defeat to Australia highlights selection gamble
Erasmus made 13 changes to the starting XV for the Perth Test after South Africa’s successful series against New Zealand. André Esterhuizen captained the reshuffled team, which ultimately fell short against the Wallabies.
Explaining his admiration for Erasmus’ approach, Henry said:
“He is prepared to lose. He lost to the Wallabies in Perth; it wasn’t his A-team, and they lost, but he shrugged his shoulders and got on with it. Still the best in the world.”
Henry acknowledged that Australia had performed well tactically, particularly in the aerial battle.
“Rassie put in the team to play the Wallabies in Perth. He thought they’d be good enough, but they weren’t there on the day,” he added.
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Henry praises Springboks unity and motivation
Henry also praised the Springboks’ coaching, togetherness and motivation, comparing their established core to New Zealand’s 2015 World Cup-winning team.
“They’ve got a lot of players who have played in two winning Rugby World Cups, and they’ve been together for a long time,” he said.
The former coach added that the players had grown together through major experiences and understood their responsibility as role models.
Henry also noted that New Zealand would pursue its own rugby identity rather than simply copying South Africa’s set-piece approach.
The comments underline the value Henry places on long-term squad building. For Erasmus, developing players beyond the first-choice XV remains key to sustaining South Africa’s competitiveness.
Wales follow Rassie Erasmus’ playbook with a Springboks-style appointment
Briefly News previously reported on Rassie Erasmus’ influence on the Springboks, and Wales have now adopted a similar approach by appointing former referee Ben Whitehouse as a specialist coach.
The move mirrors South Africa’s decision to bring Jaco Peyper into its coaching setup to help players understand rugby’s laws and deal more effectively with match officials.
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Source: Briefly News
