In the shadow of Table Mountain, a storm is brewing—not the kind that lashes Cape Town’s coast with rain, but a tempest of tactics, talent, and tenacity as the Springboks brace for the opening salvo of their international season. Leading the charge is none other than the ever-strategic Rassie Erasmus, who knows that navigating the month ahead will require more than just brute force—it’ll demand cerebral precision and a strong mental scrum.
First up? The Barbarians. That name alone evokes visions of champagne rugby and unshackled flair—an opponent that plays with the spontaneity of jazz and the fire of a flash mob. For Erasmus, this match is not just a curtain-raiser; it’s a calculated gamble, one that requires threading a needle between structure and spectacle.
We are a team that likes to analyse the opposition. Felix [Jones] plays a massive role in that, especially in finding out what the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses are. But we can’t do this with a Barbarians team.
Trying to dissect the Barbarians is like trying to wrestle smoke. Their playbook is more suggestion than scripture, and their form is forged in the fires of unpredictability. With Robbie Deans at the helm—a coach who knows how to uncork rugby’s wild spirit—the Barbarians are less a team than a travelling circus of chaos, capable of slicing through poor kicks and flimsy defence like a winger through tired legs.
Then they get together and you tell them to play what they see and be entertaining. If you give them bad kicks, they will rip you apart. We’ll try to play really structured in our way and try to get through the game without any mental scars, because that is something that happens if you’re in the Barbarian mindset.
In a world where structure often trumps flair, the Barbarians are the unruly poets of rugby. Erasmus, knowing this, is pinning his hopes on a smart internal focus. Rather than trying to decode the opposition, the Springboks will turn the mirror on themselves, especially in the attacking arena—where Tony Brown’s strategic flair and Felix Jones’s broad support will lead the charge.
Without a doubt the attack will be important. Tony does the attack, but Felix supports every department. It’s all about the attack side and Felix supporting Tony. That’s why, in this specific game, there’s not a lot of specific defence to analyse—we can focus on our own guys.
But the Boks’ challenge doesn’t end in Cape Town. After the carnival of chaos, the real grind begins with Tests against Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha, and Georgia in the hills of Mpumalanga. And while neither team may carry the box office glitz of an All Blacks or Wallabies fixture, Erasmus knows better than to let his guard down.
A lot of people will assume that we should win easily. But it would be a slap in the face to those teams. I coached the Barbarians in 2018 when they beat Argentina, and we had a lot of Springbok players in that side.
Indeed, Italy’s resurgence in the Six Nations hasn’t gone unnoticed. They are no longer the wooden spoon holders of yesteryear, but a side that fights tooth and nail for every inch of turf.
Italy stayed in the fight during those first two games in the Six Nations, and their defence was really good. Do you remember when Italy beat South Africa? I remember what that feeling is like—and we will be careful not to fall into that trap.
Georgia, meanwhile, might lack household names, but they more than make up for it with a forward pack built like granite and a game plan chiselled in stubborn resistance.
Georgia is a challenging team that we can’t underestimate. The key for us will be to drive our own standards against them.
Like a seasoned flanker eyeing the breakdown, Erasmus isn’t looking past anyone. The Springboks’ July campaign may lack the razzle-dazzle of France vs. New Zealand or the Lions touring Down Under, but for Erasmus, these matches are whetstones on which to sharpen South Africa’s blade before the Rugby Championship.
The Bok coach knows that steel is forged in fire—and sometimes, that fire is lit not by giants, but by underdogs and mavericks.
So, whether it’s the Barbarians’ ballroom blitz in Cape Town, Italy’s gritty grind on the Highveld, or Georgia’s bear-like brawn in the Lowveld, Rassie Erasmus is ready. He’s setting the stage, sharpening the tools, and rallying his troops not just to play—but to learn, evolve, and grow stronger in the crucible of the unexpected.
After all, in Erasmus’s world, there’s no such thing as an easy match—only another opportunity to craft champions.
