Rassie makes Six Nations prediction, ticks off Boks' three big goals of 2025

Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks have ticked all the right boxes in 2025, not taking any wins for granted as he challenges his troops to finish the season on a high note against Wales.

Among the victories claimed over the past five months, three have come from showdowns with Italy, and each of those three has earned the Azzuri plenty of respect in Erasmus’s mind.

The coach reflected on the soon-to-be completed season this week, revealing the goals set forward at the start of the year, and the emphasis put on the world rankings ahead of December’s Rugby World Cup 2027 draw.

“We made a bit of a study about the world rankings this year, and we really wanted to end in the top four teams; ending No.1 in fantastic,” Erasmus explained.

“The interesting thing now will be when the draw gets done, to see what the benefit was of being No.1, No.2 and No.3 in the world rankings. We’re not quite sure. It looks like you can get Australia, in Australia, if you’re No.1.

“But our first goal was trying to be No.1 or No.2 in the world at the end of this year, and then build player depth and experience, and to evolve our game a little bit.

“Certainly, there were backwards steps; the first game against Australia, and the first game against New Zealand.

“I do think Italy, for me, is a very underrated team. If I were to predict, I think Italy will be there either No.2 or No.3 in the Six Nations. For me, that team is on the up from what we’ve experienced of them.

“So, we didn’t have an easy ride. Next year, we’re coming back and playing Ireland here, and playing France here, and we’ve got England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa. So, I think we’ve learned a lot about ourselves, but our game can definitely improve a hell of a lot more in certain areas.

“Overall, I think goals achieved, but then again, we can throw everything away with a bad performance on Saturday.”

Saturday’s Cardiff contest comes off the back of a wild 80 minutes against Ireland, one with little in the way of stady attacking flow but plenty of set-piece dominance.

While the Boks’ forward pack is slightly depleted with a handful of their biggest and brightest returning to their respective clubs, the Springbok scrum is still expected to play a powerful role in the match. For Erasmus, though, the team cannot rely on it.

“It’s tough to say ‘listen, we’re going to take them on with set piece dominance’, sometimes in a game, you only get the first scrum in the 23rd minute, like the case was in the previous game that Wales played against the All Blacks.

“You can plan around trying to have scrum dominance, maybe you get a lineout here and there, but apart from that, if the game goes away from you and you don’t get those physical battles, then you have to handle them in other areas.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

0

Draws

0

Wins

5

Average Points scored

11

48

First try wins

100%

Home team wins

40%

The Test will see Cobus Reinach don the green and gold for the 50th time in a Test match, a special milestone for the two-time World Cup winner. The 35-year-old is the second Bok to reach the half-century this November, after RG Snyman in Paris. As was the case for Snyman, Reinach has been named on the bench for the special occasion.

“We’ll never forget guys like Faf (de Klerk) and Jaden (Hendrikse). There are many guys who are not on the tour here who we think are in the mix for 2027, but Cobus has been unbelievable this year,” Erasmus reflected.

“He is taking a role where he’s helping the other nines, but I’ve never seen him so involved with planning and tactics and those kinds of things. It’s funny, you don’t really know when a player is going to get to that, and he’s really taking a senior role, helping Grant (Williams).

“We also understand, with his 50th match, having a 7/1 bench split and Cobus covering wing as well, you don’t want your nine to start, and then go from nine to wing. So, we’ve got Kwagga (Smith) also covering for us in the backline, and then Ben-Jason (Dixon) also, if we do get three injuries in the backline, which is very possible in a game like this.

“But for (Cobus), getting his 50th, obviously he’ll get to run out in front, but it was like RG last week, just accepting that, for the best of the team, a start is not the thing that will work out the best for us, with him covering a few positions in a 7/1 split. He’s a top man.”