Salute the strongest Springboks squad in our rugby history

Pick the Team That’s Not Playing – And You’ll See Why This Is the Greatest Springboks squad in our rugby history, writes Mark Keohane.

Rassie Erasmus has picked a match-day squad for the first Test against Italy that will, in all likelihood, thump the Azzurri in Pretoria. But the bigger flex of dominance lies in the XV not selected—players who could start a World Cup final tomorrow, and win it.

To just get an understanding of the potency of the depth of the Boks squad in 2025, the Sharks Player of the Year and one of the most dynamic players in 2025, Ethan Hooker, is not in the 23 and is not in an alternative starting XV not involved on Saturday.

Hooker would be in the match 23 of every other Test nation, including New Zealand.

Hooker will play at some stage, but the point is when a player of that talent and pedigree is third or fourth in the queue the national stocks have never been higher.

Here’s my XV of players not playing: And there are plenty good ones who are outside of this 15, like Hooker.
15. Aphelele Fassi
14. Canan Moodie
13. Lukhanyo Am
12. André Esterhuizen
11. Makazole Mapimpi
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9. Grant Williams
8. Evan Roos 
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
6. Siya Kolisi
5. Salmaan Moerat
4. Jean Kleyn
3. Thomas du Toit
2. Johan Grobbelaar
1. Gerhard Steenekamp

Every one of those 15 have played Test rugby for the Springboks and nine of the 15 are World Cup champions.

This run-on XV is loaded with winners, in World Cups, Rugby Championships and Test matches. There are URC and European champions in the mix and players who dominate every overseas league in which they play their club rugby.

This is no accident.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has built the greatest Springbok squad of all time—not a team, a squad. No coach in world rugby can rotate like he does and still win convincingly. He made 10 changes after hammering Australia in Brisbane in 2024—and backed it up with another rout in Perth. He did it against Argentina in 2022.

He’s made 11 changes to the 23 that dismantled the Barbarians 54–7 last week, and five in the starting XV. And he’ll likely reshuffle again for Durban.

Erasmus has invested in three top players per position. Every one of them could start a World Cup final. That’s not just depth—it’s dynastic.

This is the most golden generation of Springbok ever, so good that is Platinum.

There is no arrogance in the changes, but a game management, in minutes and combinations, and a rugby science applied, specific to the match-day 23 and the opposition.

The planning and length of squad build is also illustrated in just one new Test cap in the 23, in Sharks flanker Vincent Tshituka, and 19 World Cup winners.

Veteran Springboks fullback Willie le Roux, among the power substitutes, will earn a 99th Test cap.

Seven of the starting XV play their club rugby in Japan and 10 in the match 23 play in Japan.

RASSIE RAVES ABOUT VINCENT TSHITUKA 

EVEN THE KIWIS ARE LOVING RASSIE’S BOKS