South Africa: Rassie's Mom Still Loves Him As Bok Coach Opts for Shake-Up

19 August 2025
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Craig Ray

There are 10 changes to the Springbok squad for the return match after losing the Rugby Championship opener against Australia.

"You know when your mom sends you a message to say she still loves you, things aren't lekker," Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said with a laugh as he revealed his team for the return Test against the Wallabies.

It's been a hard 72 hours for the world champions. But after analysis, discussions and on-field sessions, there is a line under last week's 38-22 loss against the Wallabies at Ellis Park, and clarity about the future.

Sometimes team selections can look like panic, and if it were any other era of Springbok rugby, making 10 changes to the starting XV would appear to be a knee-jerk reaction to a setback.

But Erasmus has regularly chopped and changed teams - when winning or losing. As head coach, between 2018-19 and again from 2024, he has selected the same starting XV on consecutive weekends only once. That was against Ireland in 2024.

After last week's 38-22 loss to the Wallabies at Ellis Park, changes were inevitable - four players from that clash are out injured - while a return to some old...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.