South Africa: Injuries and Playoff Permutations Will Shape Springbok Selections

15 May 2026
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Jon Cardinelli

The Springbok coach's alignment camp squad hints at youth, but injury casualties and results may force some changes.

Rassie Erasmus will be watching the final round of the United Rugby Championship (URC) with interest as the Bulls, Lions and Stormers joust for favourable log positions on the eve of the playoffs.

Although there are a number of permutations to consider, it's possible that the Stormers could go on to host the Bulls in Cape Town in the final - in a repeat of the 2022 decider. Should they qualify, the Lions may surprise a team or two, but travel fatigue may catch up with them over the course of the knockouts.

The collective push for the URC title may affect the Springboks' preparations for the 2026 Test season, with the club playoffs set to overlap with the start of the international schedule. The URC final will be staged on 20 June - the same day that the Boks tackle the Barbarians and South Africa A face Zimbabwe in an historic double-header in Gqeberha.

There's still a lot of rugby to be played between now and then, and it's possible that the injury toll will rise. As a result, Erasmus may go deeper into the South African rugby depth chart to field 46 players in those two games.

The...

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