Something truly seismic took place on Saturday. Something heinous, something horrific, something that has compelled millions of people to question everything they once knew as they reconcile with the dawn of an unfamiliar world.
Hyperbolic? Not if you had the misfortune of scrolling through social media in the aftermath of the Springboks 24-17 defeat to the All Blacks in Eden Park.
On chat forums, in WhatsApp groups and on seemingly never-ending threads, the officials were blamed, accusations of racism were levelled at South Africa’s coaching staff, individual players were lambasted and any attempt at nuance was shot down by a torrent of abuse and bad faith.
This is what the Springboks mean to so many of their fans. The failures hurt. Their losses are personal. When they stutter, even against a formidable opponent at a bona fide fortress, the psychological pain runs deep.
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That is not to say some dramatic changes aren’t needed. The Springboks deserved to lose that game and perhaps by a larger deficit. They played like a team unsure of itself. The line-out, for so long a totem of South African rugby, was erratic and inaccurate, typified by Malcolm Marx caught with a confused look on his face as he took an age to throw the ball.
There were other concerns. The breakdown continued to misfire. Not in the same way it did against Australia, where ball carriers were isolated and then picked off. But at the base of each ruck where inactive cleaners served as mere spectators rather than as reinforcement to secure the ball. The backline rarely sparked into life. The defence seemed to switch approaches between phases.
So while the jingoists and trolls online went too far, Erasmus will know that something has to change. And rather than tinkering around the edges, he must commit to evolution. The Springboks don’t need to abandon their DNA, but they must splice it with Tony Brown’s blueprint.
That doesn’t mean abandoning what makes them feared. Physical dominance, set-piece might and collisions at full tilt remain their calling card. But those qualities need to be the platform for expansion, not the entire identity.
Since winning the World Cup in 2023, Erasmus has recognised that the team needs to evolve, especially with ball in hand where a more dynamic game is required. In being neither here nor there, the entire enterprise has faltered. It’s time to rip the bandaid.
If Erasmus truly believes in his decision to bring Brown on board, then now is the moment to fully unleash him. Brown is not a decorator who adds a lick of paint to the same four walls. He is an architect who demands the house be remodelled from the ground up. His philosophy is about speed, width and bravery, taking on the gain line with flat passing, running hard lines off 10, and attacking space rather than simply waiting for territory.
And this week’s selections suggest Erasmus is willing to move in that direction. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been trusted at fly-half, with Damian Willemse alongside him at 12 and Canan Moodie shifted to outside centre. Ethan Hooker is handed a start on the wing, further proof that younger, more adventurous players are being given their chance.
That means backing a fly-half with X-factor. Handré Pollard is a legend and a match-winner. But with Pollard omitted from the 23 altogether, the message is clear: the future is now. Feinberg-Mngomezulu will have the opportunity to steer the side under pressure, with Manie Libbok waiting on the bench if needed. The Boks cannot pretend to embrace Brown’s blueprint while keeping their safety blanket at fly-half.
The same applies to the pack. Eben Etzebeth and Malcolm Marx are colossi of the modern game, yet here Erasmus has pulled a surprise: Etzebeth drops out entirely, while Marx retains the No.2 jersey but with Ruan Nortje starting alongside Lood de Jager in the engine room. This too is a possible nod to a future. Imagine 30 minutes of Etzebeth and Marx unleashed on tired opponents. That is how you weaponize your veterans rather than exhaust them.
New combinations need to be trialled. That process is already underway: Jasper Wiese returns from suspension to reclaim the No.8 jersey, while Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit complete the back row. Nortje now has the chance to grow into a leadership role in the tight five, exactly the sort of exposure that can fast-track depth ahead of 2027.
The midfield, too, could do with a rethink. The selection of Moodie at 13 and Willemse at 12 is a bold move away from the tried-and-tested Damian de Allende-Jesse Kriel axis. On the bench, Andre Esterhuizen offers further muscle and a direct option if things tighten. Creating competition for places is what yielded back-to-back World Cup wins. South Africa’s most experienced centre pair of all time could benefit from some fire under their feet.
South African rugby has been here before. In 2018, Erasmus tore up the script, trusted youth, blooded new leaders and created the foundation for 2019 glory. By contrast, the 2011 to 2015 cycle clung desperately to a golden generation, only to end in pool stage humiliation against Japan and then semi-final heartbreak against the All Blacks. The lesson is clear: sentimentality is the enemy of progress.
The Eden Park defeat offers the same clarity. Yes, the loss hurts and it brought out the worst in South Africa supporters, but it is a gift if framed correctly. It shows the limitations of the old way and underlines the urgency of the new. Better to be humbled in September 2025 than in October 2027.
For the remaining three games of the Rugby Championship, and for the November tours, South Africa ought to experiment boldly. In fact, the experimentation has already begun. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Moodie, Hooker, and Nortje are being handed the keys. The veterans are being managed more strategically. The new era is not just being talked about, it is being built in real time. The Springboks have always been defined by their ability to learn ruthlessly from defeat. Now they must prove it again.