Following the announcement of South Africa’s team to take on France in Paris on Friday, here are our winners and losers from Rassie Erasmus’ selections.

After starting the Northern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship with an emphatic 66-7 triumph over Italy in Turin, the Springboks have made just two alterations to their matchday squad for this encounter at the Stade de France,

Erasmus has made just one tweak to his starting line-up with Wilco Louw coming into the run-on side at tighthead prop while Thomas du Toit drops down to the replacements bench.

The final change is on the bench where Cobus Reinach takes over from Grant Williams as the replacement scrum-half.

So without further ado, we unpack the Springboks team for this eagerly anticipated clash and pick out our winners and losers.

Winners

Wilco Louw

The Stormers tighthead prop has been promoted to the Springboks’ starting line-up at the expense of Du Toit and it’s fair to say that his selection came down to his prowess at scrum time where he has the ability to destroy most of his direct opponents with his raw power and excellent technique.

With Louw’s strength in the scrums giving him the edge in making the run-on side, it means he will pack down alongside another destructive scrummager in loosehead prop Ox Nche and experienced hooker Malcolm Marx in South Africa’s front-row.

That is a clear indication that the Springboks will be determined to put Les Bleus under plenty of pressure at the set-piece and Louw will be a key protagonist in achieving that goal.

Morne van den Berg

The 29-year-old’s overall game has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and based on his performances in 2026, he is arguably the most improved player in the world champions’ extended squad currently.

After impressing off the bench for the Boks in the second and third Tests during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against New Zealand, Van den Berg was promoted to the starting line-up for the fourth clash with the All Blacks and he delivered a superb performance.

Despite playing off the bench in South Africa’s next match, which they lost to Australia, he delivered another brilliant display which nearly clinched an unlikely late win for the Boks.

Van den Berg returned to the run-on side against Italy last week and was named as the official man of the match in that Test after coming to the fore with another fine all-round showing and those efforts were rewarded as he retained his spot in the run-on side to take on France.

Cobus Reinach

Although Reinach is the player who relinquished his position as the Springboks’ first-choice scrum-half to Van den Berg, the Stormers star can be viewed as a winner as he was not selected in the matchday squad for the victory against the Azzurri and was watching that clash from the stands in Turin.

However, the double World Cup winner has been preferred to Grant Williams as Van den Berg’s back-up against France and Erasmus revealed that Reinach’s experience of French conditions – after playing for Top 14 heavyweights Montpellier for five years – played a part in his selection.

Although the 57-Test veteran is 36, one of his strengths is his speed off the mark and he will be expected to bring plenty of energy to the world champions’ cause on attack during the latter stages of the match when it is expected to be much looser.

Experienced second-row duo

With first-choice Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth not selected for this encounter, fellow veteran Lood de Jager will pack down alongside Ruan Nortje in the second-row after being a late addition to the starting line-up against Italy last week.

This, after Salmaan Moerat was forced to withdraw due to injury shortly before kick-off and De Jager’s elevation to the run-on side meant that another experienced lock in Mostert was called up to do duty from the replacements bench.

After De Jager emptied the tank for 46 minutes against the Azzurri, he was replaced by Mostert, who continued with the good work at the coalface of the Boks’ forward effort and if they can put in similar performances on Friday, Erasmus will be delighted.

Losers

Thomas du Toit

With Louw getting the nod in the run-on side, it means that Du Toit has been relegated to the replacements bench despite coming to the fore with an impressive display during a 46-minute stint in Turin last week.

Although the Sharks star did well in the scrums and largely held the upper hand in his direct battle at the set-piece against Muhamed Hasa, Louw is arguably the world’s best scrummaging tighthead who will be expected to give his side the edge in that department during his time on the field.

While Du Toit will be playing second fiddle to Louw in this encounter, he is much better with ball in hand and could still make an impact when he comes off the replacements bench.

Grant Williams

With Van den Berg now firmly entrenched as the Boks’ first-choice number nine, it was a straight shootout between Reinach and Williams for the role as the Lions star’s back-up and unfortunately for the latter, he misses out to his more experienced counterpart.

Despite coming onto the field in the 51st minute against the Azzurri as Van den Berg’s replacement, Williams was soon shifted to the wing after the former returned to action when Damian De Allende left the field with first-choice number 11 Ethan Hooker being shifted to midfield.

That meant Williams did not have much of an opportunity to shine in his preferred position and it appears that his versatility has counted against him with the selection of the Boks team to face France with Reinach getting the nod as the reserve scrum-half.

Eben Etzebeth

After initially missing out on selection for the world champions’ tour of Europe due to a lower-limb injury, the 147-Test veteran has made a full recovery and was recalled to the squad on Sunday.

This, after uncapped fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed was forced to withdraw after missing most of South Africa’s training sessions after injuring his shoulder.

With their talismanic enforcer back in the squad, Boks fans would have hoped that he would be recalled to the matchday squad to take on France but it was not be as Nortje and De Jager will continue as the starting locks with Mostert expected to make an impact later in the game.

Although Etzebeth is sidelined for the France match, Erasmus hinted that he should be ready to return to action against Ireland in Dublin on November 21.

“Eben just arrived in France, and although we know what he brings to the team, we feel it would be better for him to get back into the swing of things this week after some time on the sidelines,” he said.

Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.

Salmaan Moerat

The 28-year-old lock’s rotten luck with injuries continues and after missing both the July Nations Championship matches and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, he was forced to withdraw from the run-on side in the build-up to Saturday’s encounter against Italy.

This, after Moerat was ruled up due to back spasms during the warm-up – a complaint which he had also been struggling with earlier in the week.

The Italy game presented the 11-cap international with an opportunity to stake his claim in the Springboks’ matchday squad for the rest of the tour but due to his latest injury and Etzebeth’s return, it now seems unlikely that that will happen.