Erasmus keeps All Blacks guessing with delayed Bok team announcement

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has broken from his usual habit of naming his starting side early in the week, with the team to face New Zealand in Saturday's opening Test of the Rugby Championship at Ellis Park only to be revealed on Thursday.

Gavin Rich writes for SuperSport that Erasmus has typically confirmed his line-ups on a Tuesday during his time in charge of the Springboks, or on a Monday during the recent home leg of the Nations Championship.

The delay this week is not without precedent against the All Blacks, and reflects both the selection options at Erasmus's disposal and lingering uncertainty over the fitness of several key players following the Boks' unbeaten buildup, which concluded with victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Regular captain Siya Kolisi's availability to lead the side is reportedly in doubt, with Paul de Villiers – who has emerged as one of the standout performers of the Boks' 2026 campaign – in line to start at No 6 should Kolisi be unfit. Loosehead prop Ox Nche, considered the best in his position in world rugby, has not featured since picking up an injury in the opening half of the first Championship match in Johannesburg in early July, but is understood to be in contention for a recall, with a decision expected early this week.

Should the squad be at full strength, the only long-term absentees from the group that has underpinned South Africa's recent success would be RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith.

A fully fit Springbok side would likely resemble the one picked for the England fixture on 4 July – before injuries to Eben Etzebeth and Kolisi forced late changes – though selection at flyhalf remains the most difficult call facing Erasmus.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, widely regarded as the top flyhalf in world rugby by the end of last year, missed the Nations Championship and the non-cap fixture against the Barbarians in Gqeberha after being injured playing for the Stormers against Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final.

He returned for the full 80 minutes against Argentina, and while his kicking game was understandably short of its best after nearly three months out, getting through the match unscathed was the priority.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the favourite to start at No 10, having done so the last time the Boks met New Zealand at Ellis Park in 2024. Yet several of South Africa's most dominant performances against the All Blacks in recent seasons have come with Manie Libbok on the field for all or part of the match – including the 35-7 win in London ahead of the 2023 World Cup, and last September's 43-10 rout in Wellington, where Libbok took over after Feinberg-Mngomezulu was forced off injured early on. A similar pattern held during South Africa's Rugby Championship-clinching win over Argentina in Mbombela in 2024.

Notably, Libbok's biggest wins over the All Blacks have not come alongside the regular midfield combination of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, but with Andre Esterhuizen and Canan Moodie in London, and Damian Willemse and Moodie in Wellington.

Despite the uncertainty, most expect Erasmus to opt for his most experienced available combination to start the series – while using the extended selection window to keep the All Blacks guessing.

That does not mean the coach himself is undecided: SuperSport reports that beyond the fitness assessments still to be finalised, Erasmus already knows his plan for Saturday and the personnel he intends to call on, with further changes possible for the following week depending on the result at Ellis Park. He simply sees no reason to show New Zealand his hand before he has to.