Read reckons Boks in for ‘struggle up north’

Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read warned that South Africa could face difficulties on their upcoming northern hemisphere tour if head coach Rassie Erasmus rotates the squad too heavily. Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, Read suggested that experimenting with lineups could give European opponents an opportunity to defeat the world champions during the Nations Championship tour.

Erasmus has prioritized building squad depth ahead of the 2027 World Cup, selecting six uncapped players in his 37-man squad. The Springboks are scheduled to play Italy, France, and Ireland before the tournament finals in late November. Despite his warning about rotation, Read acknowledged that South Africa remains comfortably the best team in the world when fielding their strongest possible lineup.