Springboks to experiment less in 2026 as fine-tuning for World Cup begins

CAPE TOWN – South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus suggested there will be less experimentation for the Springboks in 2026, as they aim for a hat-trick of Rugby World Cup titles and he also expressed little surprise at England's recent struggles in the Six Nations.

South Africa face England in their opening test of the year in the new Nations Championship on July 4 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

Steve Borthwick's England side built a head of steam last year with 12 wins in a row but have struggled this campaign and after back-to-back losses to Scotland (31-20) and Ireland (42-21) are fourth in the Six Nations table after three rounds.

Erasmus said there was perhaps too much hype around England and there was context to their good run given the teams they faced.

"It's like a guy who runs through opposition. You think, 'Oh, that guy is fast'," he said on Monday.

"But who did he beat? Who was he running past? Was it a (youngster) who just started playing rugby? Can the guy tackle? Not to discredit anyone but look at the teams they (England) have beaten.

"We love New Zealand, and we know how tough they are, but maybe they were not in a phase they wanted to be. What other big teams have they beaten? They beat Argentina away and New Zealand."

Erasmus believes South Africa are in a good space ahead of the season having used over 50 players last year which clarified the thinking of the coaches around their World Cup selection.

"We averaged nine changes per test last year, and by doing that we are not under pressure to do it again this year," he said. "We have learnt some lessons and we've trialled some guys and we know who can do it and who can't. We want squad depth, and to have five or six guys per position that we can call on."

South Africa have 13 tests in 2026 and one non-cap international against the Barbarians in what is another busy year, including the introduction of the ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ series against New Zealand.

That will include three tests in South Africa and a final match in Baltimore in the United States.

In other news, the Six Nations trophy will be “retired from ceremonial use” and replaced after suffering fire damage in an accident during transit, tournament organisers said on Monday.

The trophy was damaged when the vehicle transporting it was involved in an accident in Ireland after the third round of matches. No passengers were injured but it was deemed the trophy could not be restored to its original state, according to the manufacturer.

It will be replaced by an “identical” replica for the rest of this year’s championship and a new trophy will be commissioned for the 2027 edition. REUTERS, AFP