Following the announcement of the Springboks team for their Nations Championship clash against France, here are our five takeaways from Rassie Erasmus’ selections.

Consistency

Erasmus has opted not to throw a selection curveball this weekend after going surprisingly strong for the Italy clash. The Boks boss surprised many by picking his strongest available team for their opening game of the November Tests.

South Africa named six uncapped players in the wider training squad, including four age-grade stars, but none made it into the 23 for the match in Turin, despite it being their easiest match on paper. However, it is not a shock to see the back-to-back world champions go in pretty much fully-loaded.

There are a couple of alterations with Wilco Louw starting alongside Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx, allowing them to form their strongest scrummaging trio from the outset. They will be supported by the heft of Lood de Jager, who continues in the engine room after Salmaan Moerat pulled out ahead of the Azzurri encounter.

It is the only change to the starting XV with the bench telling a similar story as Cobus Reinach comes in for Grant Williams. It may have been the initial plan to start Reinach in Friday’s match but, given Morne van den Berg’s brilliance against Italy, the Lions scrum-half has retained his place, and deservedly so.

Scrum call

It is an area the Boks always target but it is notable that they have started their best scrummaging front-row at the Stade de France, with Louw joining Marx and Nche in the run-on side. While it is a logical move, it would also not be a surprise if Erasmus wants to make a statement to the French and set the tone.

It was once true that Les Bleus had one of the best scrums around, but that is not the case anymore and, if anything, it has become a weakness for Fabien Galthie’s men. That will be an important battleground in Friday’s Nations Championship encounter and the Boks have let the hosts know they are coming for them.

They are rather well stocked on the bench, too, with Thomas du Toit and particularly Gerhard Steenekamp both top-class scrummagers. You get the feeling the French need to be mistake-free or else they could be spending plenty of time in their own half after getting hammered in the set-piece.

The latest hybrid?

Thanks to the conversion of Andre Esterhuizen into a hybrid player, capable of playing centre and in the back-row, they found the perfect balance between the 5-3 and 6-2 bench split. However, losing Esterhuizen has forced the Springboks to adapt and they have gone back to the more forward-heavy option.

As well as the three front-row replacements, Franco Mostert, Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers will also be covering the forwards. There is the potential, though, that De Villiers replicates the Esterhuizen role and becomes the Boks’ latest hybrid.

The Stormers star’s biggest strength is his ability at the breakdown but he is also a tremendous athlete and has excellent hands, potentially enabling him to play behind the scrum. Should South Africa get a couple of unfortunate injuries in the backline, we will then get the answer as to whether De Villiers is another Esterhuizen and Henry Pollock, who filled in superbly on the wing for England at the weekend.

Confidence without Eben Etzebeth

South Africa received a boost on Sunday after it was announced that their all-time record cap holder has recovered from injury to join up with the squad. Etzebeth has not played for a month after suffering a lower-limb issue in the Sharks’ defeat to the Stormers in October but, such is his importance to the side, many would have expected to see him in the 23.

Erasmus has confidence in the other locks, however, and you cannot doubt the individual quality of Ruan Nortje, De Jager and Mostert, who all showed up well against Italy. Granted, Etzebeth remains one of the world’s best, but it is a testament to the depth the Boks have built and the trust the coaches place in every player they select that the great second-row can sit out a game as big as this.

How expansive will the Boks be?

Erasmus effectively stated prior to the competition starting in July that the Nations Championship itself is low priority. Although the Boks obviously want to win Tests, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry was the main focus for 2026 while they also wanted to build depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

It is interesting, though, that South Africa have named such a strong line-up two weeks in a row and you question whether the head honcho’s mindset has shifted now that they sit atop their group, level on points with the All Blacks.

Two more bonus-point victories and the Springboks will qualify for the final, given the much greater points differential they have over New Zealand – +140 to +73 – but one slip up will open the door for their rivals.

Earning a maximum 10 points from France and Ireland is much easier said than done with the All Blacks having a slightly easier final two fixtures in Wales and England. By the time Dave Rennie’s men take to the field in Cardiff, they will know whether they have a chance of overtaking South Africa at the summit.

Winning will simply be the priority for the Boks and it would be a surprise if they went with the all-singing, all-dancing approach but, if they can get on top early and pummel the French forwards, we expect them to chase tries and chase that bonus-point.