Boks need more depth: 5 things on South Africa's Christmas wishlist

Santa has already given South African rugby so much this year. Sustained dominance at the top of the men’s rankings, a World Rugby Player of the Year award for Malcolm Marx, a best-ever show in the Women’s World Cup. It would be greedy to ask for more.

And yet, as we all know, enough is never enough. We want more. More awards, more wins, more tears from New Zealand columnists and English commentators. Rassie Erasmus has extended his contract until 2031. If he can go back for seconds (well, thirds, really), then surely we can put in a last-minute request to ol’ Saint Nick and ask the big man in red to stuff our stockings with the following:

A statement in the Greatest Rivalry

This isn’t a wish for a Springboks clean sweep. It’s not even a wish for some shock wins for the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls or Lions against the All Blacks (although those would be nice). It’s a yearning for this series to be something that resets rugby’s ecosystem.

With the Nations Championship launching next year, the chance for extended series that hark back to the sport’s amateur age has diminished. But extended series between two teams create opportunity for narratives to unfold, for heroes and villains to meander through Shakespearean arcs. They create room for fans to travel from across the world and for journalists to sink their teeth into stories that would not otherwise have an audience. This is why the British & Irish Lions remain an enduring force in the sport and it’s why all of us, even those of us not from South Africa or New Zealand, should be hoping for a cracking series when the All Blacks and Springboks lock horns.

Though the name is uncreative, it is accurate. This is the greatest rivalry in the sport. These are the two best teams and the two most significant rugby brands. If they can’t make a head-to-head series work, no one else will. But if they shoot the lights out, we might see more of these epics in the future.

Fixture

Internationals

South Africa

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22 Aug 26

New Zealand

All Stats and Data

Recognition that Australia and Argentina still matter

Having said all that, I hope that the Wallabies and Pumas are not forgotten. Even if the Greatest Rivalry is a commercial and sporting success, it would be a shame if that came at the expense of the Rugby Championship.

Australia and Argentina are not merely opponents on the calendar; they are essential allies in maintaining the global balance of power. Without them, southern hemisphere rugby becomes an echo chamber, shrinking rather than strengthening.

Australia’s struggles have been well documented and rugby in Argentina continues to punch above its weight without a fully functioning professional league. The code in both nations is not on life support, but a few fallow years could push rugby closer to extinction. And as much as they need South Africa and New Zealand, the big boys need their less fancied dancing partners just as much.

The Springboks’ wish here is for wisdom. Use rivalries to enhance the calendar, not cannibalise it. Protect the Rugby Championship as a meaningful competition rather than allow it to wither into irrelevance. South Africa’s strength has been forged in tough neighbourhoods, not empty ones.

Evan Roos and Cameron Hanekom trusted at No.8

There is depth everywhere you look in the Springboks camp. Well, almost everywhere. Jasper Wiese is one of the most destructive battering rams in the game and, from the back of the pack, is an integral cog in the Boks machine. But if he goes down injured, or if he cops another ban for ill discipline, things could unravel.

This is why 2026 must be the year that one – or both – of Cameron Hanekom or Evan Roos come to the fore. Both are different players than Wiese and lack the same gainline punch, but both are more all-round athletes with a wider repertoire of skills. They can both scythe through gaps from midfield, offer options in the line-out and have a more dynamic off-loading game. They’re both quicker off the mark as well.

There is no question that Wiese is the incumbent. He was my personal pick for best Springbok of the year. But he needs a deputy. The home games against Wales and Scotland, as well as the away trip to Italy, could be the perfect opportunity to get some miles in young legs.

Women’s Boks need more Tier 1 exposure – and a new plan of attack

Halfway through their quarterfinal with New Zealand’s Black Ferns, South Africa’s players went into the break all square at 10-10. A team that hadn’t reached the knockouts of a World Cup was level with the most successful outfit in the women’s game. Not only were they level, South Africa had dominated the opening 40 minutes.

Though the final 46-17 score reflected a second half blowout, the entire campaign exceeded expectations as star players became household names. The rampaging Aseza Hele. The metronomic Libbie Janse van Rensberg. The pocket-rocket Byrhandre Dolf. The towering Danelle Lochner. All elite. All worthy of a place at the top table of the game. All desperately needing more competition.

A single Test against the Black Ferns will serve as a curtain raiser ahead of the third Test on the Greatest Rivalry series in Johannesburg, but this is not enough. On SA Rugby’s website, there are currently no fixtures listed for the women’s side, proving that the team remains an afterthought despite their massive gains. Something has to change or nothing really will.

Something new out of Rassie’s bag of tricks

We’ve had midfield line-out-style mauls, we’ve wings feeding scrums, centres packing down at flank and a range of tweaks to bench splits. What comes next is anyone’s guess but I hope that Erasmus has something locked away, ready to get tongues wagging and keyboards clicking.

No one in rugby’s history has created more headlines than South Africa’s head coach. Often it’s for the things he says, for the things he tweets and for the dominance of his team. That can often overshadow what a sensational innovator he is. No doubt he’s cooking something up over the festive period.