South Africa have planning for next World Cup as top priority
Coach Rassie Erasmus has made no secret of his desire to freshen up his ageing squad and keep the Springboks on course for a third successive World Cup title, when the next tournament is hosted in 2027.
He has suggested that he might prioritise handing vital international experience to a new crop of emerging players ahead of the outcome of the Rugby Championship Tests, though given his relentless competitive streak, this is only likely to happen in extreme circumstances.
There is guaranteed to be more of the out-of-the-box thinking over the next few months that has turned Erasmus into a figure who deeply divides opinion.
Some see his tactical manipulations as innovation, others as borderline cheating, but Erasmus's Machiavellian moves are changing some aspects of rugby.
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