Boks shake-up on cards? Injuries, form may push Erasmus toward overhaul

YOU may have expected a Springbok “changing of the guard” at the end of 2023, but it could happen before that.

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Through injury and other circumstances, the team Rassie Eras-mus selects for the one-off match Test of the year against the Wallabies 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 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, Gaqeberha and Mbombela respectively.

The main goals for 2025 would be winning the two Tests against all the Blacks in New Zealand on consecutive weekends in July and August and Wellington, as well as the November 22 date with Ireland in Dublin.

Considering Erasmus’ understand-able loyalty to his World Cup winners, you would expect that the same 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. Damien Willemse’s the first-choice fullback before he got injured last season, and then Aphelele Fassi took over at No 15.