Injuries and form may push Rassie towards Bok overhaul

YOU may have expected a Springbok ‘changing of the guard’ at the end of 2025, but it could happen before that.

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Through form, injury and other circumstances, the team Rassie Erasmus selects for the first massive Tests of the year against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on August 16 – the Rugby Championship opener – could look very different from the first-choice group of the last two years.

With all due respect to Italy and Georgia, it would make little sense for the strongest possible Bok side to run out on July 5, 12 and 19 in Pretoria, Gqeberha and Mbombela respectively.

The main goals for 2025 should be winning the two Tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand on September 6 and 13 in Auckland and Wellington, as well as the November 22 date with Ireland in Dublin.

Considering Erasmus’ understandable loyalty to his World Cup winners, you would expect that the top players would be lining up at Eden Park, Sky Stadium (Cake Tin) and Aviva Stadium.

But who those players are may have changed by the time the kick-off arrives. Damian Willemse was the first-choice fullback before he got injured last season, and then Aphelele Fassi took over at No 15.