Coach Rassie Erasmus has named a revamped, hard-hitting Springbok side to face Wales in Cardiff while scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will reach his golden milestone of playing in his 50th test match off the bench on Saturday.
With the Test window closed, Erasmus has decided to dip into the Bomb Squad toolbox. He will be unleashing a monster 7–1 Nuke Squad bench split, giving Bok fans a fiery forward-loaded showdown to close out the season.
1. Reinach’s 50th: More Than Just a Milestone
The evergreen number 9 reaching 50 Tests at 35 is a story of persistence, patience and world-class professionalism. He has spent most of his Bok career behind legendary scrumhalves yet continues to produce match-winning moments whenever called upon. His half-century symbolises the value of depth which is South Africa’s most powerful weapon.
More than 11 years after making his #Springboks debut, Cobus Reinach will reach his 50th Test cap in Cardiff on Saturday, as Rassie Erasmus opts for a 7-1 bench to take on Wales – more here: https://t.co/J5Bigk89Qo 💥#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/sKafIl8mDz
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 27, 2025
Rassie said it best:
“He’s patiently waited for his chances and grabbed every opportunity with both hands.”
In a year where the Springboks have tested nearly 50 players, Reinach represents the stability and trust at the heart of the Bok system.
2. The 7–1 Split: Rassie’s Masterstroke Lives On
The Boks doubling down on a seven-forwards, one-back bench says two things:
- Availability forced Rassie’s hand, but
- It also reflects supreme confidence in South Africa’s bruising, suffocating forward DNA.
Against Wales who love turning matches into trench warfare this imbalance could be a decisive blow. The Boks want to win this Test through pressure, collisions and set-piece domination, essentially flooding the field with wrecking balls.
Rassie explained:
“The availability of players played a role… but our pack has performed incredibly well this season.”
3. Steenekamp Starts: A New Front-Row Era Taking Shape
Gerhard Steenekamp earning his first Test start signals a generational shift in the Bok front row. With Marx unavailable and several veterans missing, South Africa are fast-tracking the next wave of enforcers.
The new combination of Grobbelaar, Louw, Steenekamp is a glimpse into the Bok front-row future. If they dominate Wales, South Africa strengthens its long-term World Cup blueprint.
4. A Test Window Puzzle and Rassie Solving It
With the match falling outside the international window, Erasmus had no access to many of his European-based stars. Yet the resulting squad remains fiercely competitive, proving that South Africa’s depth is a machine built through rotation, trust and clarity of role.
“We’ve been rotating players all year,” said Rassie, who noted the group has been together for five weeks. Combinations feel smoother, not improvised.
5. The Bigger Picture: RWC 2027 Starts Now
Rassie revealed a key stat:
“We’ve used 49 players in Tests this season.”
That’s not experimentation, that’s succession planning.
By 2027, many current stalwarts will be deep into their 30s. This tour, driven by availability challenges, accelerates South Africa’s long-term prep.
Every Test cap earned now is strategic. Every new face is being stress-tested in real battles, not theory.
6. Wales Are Dangerous and Desperate
Both teams are depleted, both want to end the year strongly, and Wales will throw the kitchen sink at the Springboks. With the RWC draw looming, Wales have serious ranking motivation.
Rassie expects fireworks:
“They’ll come out firing… they’ll give everything to finish the season on a high.”
The Boks regards Saturday’s battle against the Red Dragons as not juts a simple end-of-tour jog, but rather a full-blooded Test disguised as a dead rubber.
Bottom Line
This Bok selection matters because it’s:
- A celebration of a veteran’s resilience
- A stress test of the next Bok generation
- A reaffirmation of Rassie’s forward-first philosophy
- A strategic investment in the 2027 World Cup
- A chance to end 2025 with a statement win
And in the middle of it all?
Cobus Reinach in the form of his life still sprinting, still creating, still proving people wrong.
