Rassie Erasmus may be the pantomime villain for much of the rugby world, but no one can deny that he supports youth. In a sport known for its conservatism, the South African head coach is fearless when it comes to selection. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough, is his maxim.
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So what if the Springboks lose a test match here and there? Short-term sorrow for long-term glory. It’s all about the Webb Ellis Cup for Rassie.
This summer, for example, Erasmus injected fresh blood into his team for the first round Nations Championship matches, calling up young talents such as Jaco Williams, Paul de Villiers, Vusi Moyo and Riley Norton. It is a continuation of a bold policy introduced in June 2025 when he fielded nine unqualified players in the South African squad.
As former Springboks Breyton Paulse put it: “When I was playing… the rookies were often told they were too green, that they had a lot to learn. But that’s not the scene anymore. These young men are stepping into a robust team environment that’s ripe for them to just fit in and flourish.”
Fabien Galthié could do with a bit of Rassi’s audacity. Last week France coach announced 42 players for the second round of the Nations Championship games next month and there was a feeling of exhaustion for some of the forward selections.
Galthié has made some bold calls in recent seasons in the backs – such as Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Théo Attissogbe – but has much less faith in the youngsters up front. The only youngster to establish himself in the pack since the last World Cup is Oscar Jegou, a 23-year-old winger from La Rochelle.
The World Cup is still a year away. The four tests next month are the perfect opportunity to loosen some screws.
The World Cup is still a year away. The four tests next month are the perfect opportunity to loosen some screws. Instead, Galti recalled the lost La Rochelle striker Grégory Alldritt and Paul Boudehent after a year away. He also picked two injury-prone 30-something players in Charles Ollivon and François Cros. Both are good players, as is Cameron Woki, another veteran who will be in the game Australia next year.
True, there were a couple of youngsters among the loose forwards selected – Esteban Capilla and Marco Gazzotti – but the latter had to withdraw due to an injury sustained while playing for Bordeaux on Sunday.
Who did Galti invite? 30-year-old Anthony Jelonch, who has barely played rugby this season after recovering from one of the many injuries that have plagued his career in recent years.
Why didn’t Galti call up Théo Ntamack, Toulouse’s dynamic number 8 and Romain’s younger brother? Ntamack started the season strong. He plays with more maturity and intelligence, and is therefore more rounded. “His physical presence on the ball is a huge boost for us,” Toulouse’s forwards coach Jean Bouilhou said last week. “And defensively, he’s put in the work. That’s what we’re looking for from him as well — not just to be involved when he has the ball. He’s worked hard on those aspects.”
Then there’s the raw power it provides Clermont blindside, Kevin Noah, another player who passed Massy finished school in the suburbs of Paris. The 25-year-old was outstanding last week in the defeat to Leinster. As Clermont’s local paper noted: “Noah was the only striker who gave Clermont an edge when he was up against the Irish players.”
Another exciting but inexperienced French flanker is Antoine Deliance. There’s a whiff of Henry Pollock about the 21-year-old Deliance – at least in style and build.
Noah, all 6ft 2 and 19 ½ stone of him, has huge potential. He should be tapped by Galthié; one suspect Erasmus would have caught him by now.
Another exciting but inexperienced French flanker is Antoine Deliance. There’s a whiff of Henry Pollock on the 21-year-old Deliance – at least in style and build. Both are 6ft 2in tall and weigh 15½ stone.
The difference, one might say, is in temperament. Pollock is brash and provocative, a showman and an athlete. Deliance led France to the U20s Six Nations title in 2025 and captained Lyon this season, showing what Mid Olympique recently described as “extraordinary maturity”. When he was named captain at the start of the season, Lyon head coach Karim Ghezal explained: “It’s not a difficult choice, but an obvious, logical one that is clear to me and the team.”
Deliance, however, has yet to beat the French coach.
Galti’s conservatism could prove costly at RWC 2027. He is counting on his veteran forwards to avoid injury over the next twelve months. The omens are not good. Ollivon, Cros, Boudehent and Jelonch have suffered serious injuries in recent years, and already this season Galthie is without his second row of Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament – the latter has been used at times in the back row. Experienced winger Julien Marchand is also injured, but instead of calling on an exciting but unproven replacement – such as Bayonne’s Lucas Martin – Galthie has opted for strikers he knows.
This is not the way of Erasmus. He works closely with Kevin Foote, Head Coach of the Junior Springboks, and Dave Wessels, General Manager of High Performance. The moment a young talent is identified, Erasmus says, “We try to get the guys into the setup as soon as possible, just to see the guy face-to-face.”
Some of these young players are ready for Test rugby, others are not yet. But Erasmus at least gives them a chance to ‘see eye to eye’. Galthie is more cautious, but you don’t win world championships with caution.