The Springboks and SA ‘A’ side kicked off their 2026 campaigns in impressive fashion at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, securing convincing victories over the Barbarians and Zimbabwe respectively.
The Springboks thrilled the home crowd with an attacking masterclass, scoring 80 points in an emphatic 80-31 victory against the Barbarians. Earlier in the day, SA ‘A’ produced a disciplined display to shut out Zimbabwe 40-0, highlighting the depth of South African rugby talent.
Despite the dominant scorelines, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and SA ‘A’ coach Mzwandile Stick were quick to point out areas requiring improvement ahead of the Nations Championship, which begins in two weeks.
Erasmus praised his team’s attacking intent but expressed concern about defensive lapses and discipline.
Our discipline wasn’t great, and they scored tries in quick succession, so yellow cards were not ideal,said Erasmus.
While pleased with the eight-try performance, Erasmus noted that the squad is still rebuilding combinations after several months apart and integrating new players into the setup.
To score 80 points is nice, but we need to eliminate those defensive lapses and be better as a unit when we play against England,he added.
The Bok coach also revealed concerns over lock Franco Mostert, who left the field with an ankle injury and is set to undergo scans.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi echoed the coach’s sentiments, highlighting both the positives and lessons from the opening match.
A lot of what we wanted to achieve, we did, but there were moments where we went away from the plan and learned valuable lessons,said Kolisi.
There were opportunities where we could have controlled things better, and those are areas we’ll work on.
For Stick, the SA ‘A’ victory over Zimbabwe provided valuable insight into a group of players still developing combinations at representative level.
We knew it was going to be a challenge because the majority of our players have never played together,said Stick.
Zimbabwe played with great intensity and asked questions of us, but I was pleased with how our players stayed in the fight and executed what we’ve worked on over the last two weeks.
The SA ‘A’ side had two tries disallowed in the first half but remained composed before pulling away to secure a comprehensive victory and a clean sheet.
Captain Vincent Tshituka praised Zimbabwe’s commitment and determination throughout the contest.
We expected a desperate and motivated side, and that’s exactly what we got,said Tshituka. They wanted to prove a point against quality opposition, and they made us work for everything.
While both teams can take confidence from their performances, the focus now shifts to refining their game and raising standards ahead of tougher challenges in the coming weeks. The victories in Gqeberha provided a strong foundation, but both coaching teams believe there is still room for growth as the season gathers momentum.