Coach Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks face a formidable challenge when they open their 2026 Test campaign against an in-form England at Ellis Park.

The teams meet in their first match of the new Nations Championship – a fixture Erasmus has earmarked as a serious early-season test against a side he says is building something special.

“England are really looking strong now and have won their last 11 Tests,” Erasmus told rugby writers in Cape Town on Monday. “You can see there’s something special brewing there. For us, it’s great to be playing England in the first match of the Nations Championship.”

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England will have been sharpened by the Six Nations, with their opening match against Wales on 7 February. Erasmus believes that campaign will provide valuable insight into Steve Borthwick’s side, even if it comes with its own challenges.

“By the time we play England, it will be seven months since our last Test,” he said. “A lot will have happened in the meantime – law changes and a full Six Nations. We’ll have the advantage of being able to analyse their Six Nations matches, while they won’t know exactly what we have planned.”

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The Springboks are expected to play a warm-up fixture before the Ellis Park clash, with Erasmus highlighting the need to manage players spread across different competitions, including those based in Japan.

England’s run of wins have included a dramatic 26-25 Six Nations win over eventual champions France and a standout 33-19 victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham.

Springboks 2026 schedule

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