Four Springboks changes Rassie Erasmus MUST make for third All Blacks Test

Sunday, 30 August 2026 at 16:37

bySteven Smith

The Springboks hit back against the All Blacks in Cape Town to level the series, but Rassie Erasmus still has some huge selection decisions to make ahead of the third Test.

South Africa got the result they desperately needed, although the performance was far from perfect as New Zealand repeatedly found ways to trouble the world champions.

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With the series now finely poised, Erasmus has the opportunity to freshen things up again.

Here are four changes we think the Springboks boss should make.

#1. Jesse Kriel OUT – André Esterhuizen IN

Jesse Kriel couldn't have asked for a better start in Cape Town, crossing for the opening try after just two minutes.

However, the experienced centre endured a much more difficult afternoon defensively.

Kriel missed several tackles as New Zealand repeatedly threatened the Springbok midfield, with a couple of those defensive errors contributing to All Blacks tries.

Erasmus has another hugely physical option waiting in the wings.

André Esterhuizen featured from the bench in Cape Town and could be unleashed from the start, potentially with Damian de Allende shifting across to outside centre.

That would give the Springboks an enormous midfield combination while adding another powerful carrier to their attack.

RUCK VERDICT: Esterhuizen deserves his opportunity. Start him at 12 and move De Allende to 13.

#2. Jasper Wiese OUT – Cameron Hanekom IN

This could be the biggest change Erasmus makes.

Jasper Wiese started shakily with another knock-on at the point of contact and struggled to make his usual impact with ball in hand.

New Zealand clearly identified the powerhouse number eight as one of South Africa's biggest threats and regularly swarmed him before he could generate momentum.

That's where the problem starts.

When Wiese isn't making metres through contact, his lack of a natural ball-playing game can make the Springbok attack more predictable.

Cameron Hanekom offers something different.

The Bulls star replaced Wiese during the second half in Cape Town and possesses the pace, carrying ability and handling skills to cause New Zealand different problems.

RUCK VERDICT: Hanekom starts at number eight and gives the Springbok attack another dimension.

#3. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu MOVES TO 15

After a difficult opening Test, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced a much more assured performance in Cape Town.

His kicking game was particularly important, repeatedly pinning New Zealand deep and allowing South Africa to reset whenever the contest became loose.

It still wasn't perfect.

One kick almost resulted in a charge-down try for Jordie Barrett, while several attacking combinations failed to come off.

However, perhaps the most interesting part of his performance came after half-time.

With Damian Willemse forced off, Feinberg-Mngomezulu moved to fullback as Manie Libbok took control at fly-half.

The youngster suddenly appeared to have more freedom to influence the contest without carrying the responsibility of directing every Springbok attack.

RUCK VERDICT: Keep Sacha in the starting XV, but unleash him from fullback.

#4. Damian Willemse OUT – Manie Libbok IN

This change completes the backline reshuffle.

Willemse positioned himself well defensively in Cape Town, particularly when dealing with New Zealand's probing kicking game.

However, his own kicking from hand was inconsistent, with several efforts failing to find the distance or accuracy South Africa needed.

More importantly, Willemse was forced from the field through injury before the second half.

If there is any doubt surrounding his fitness, Erasmus shouldn't need to gamble.

Moving Feinberg-Mngomezulu to fullback would open the door for Manie Libbok to return at fly-half after he helped direct proceedings following his introduction in Cape Town.

Libbok's willingness to play flat and bring runners onto the ball could also give the All Blacks a completely different attacking picture to defend.

RUCK VERDICT: Libbok starts at 10, Sacha moves to 15 and Willemse gets the opportunity to recover fully.

RUCK'S FOUR CHANGES

OUT: Jesse Kriel
IN: André Esterhuizen

OUT: Jasper Wiese
IN: Cameron Hanekom

MOVE: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 10 to 15

IN: Manie Libbok – starts at 10

Rugby Quiz: Can you name the past 25 Springboks captains?

How well do you know the Springboks? South Africa have had some legendary leaders over the years, with some of the game's biggest names taking on the responsibility of captaining the current world champions.

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But how many of their last 25 captains can you remember? Test your rugby knowledge and see if you can name every player to have led the Springboks in their most recent appearances.