Rassie Erasmus has singled out the belief of the Springbok squad as a major ingredient for their 43-10 win over the All Blacks in Wellington.

The Boks inflicted New Zealand’s heaviest defeat in history, with the win propelling them to second on the Rugby Championship log, just a point behind the Wallabies and ahead of the All Blacks on points difference.

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“We gave our best today,” Erasmus told reporters after the match. “There’s huge trust and belief in each other.

“The win is nice, it’s satisfying, but we don’t need to dwell on that. New Zealand didn’t rub last week’s win at Eden Park in our faces, so we’ll really enjoy tonight, but that’s it.

“We’re just glad we got the five points and still in the mix for the Rugby Championship.”

The Freedom Cup is coming back to South Africa 🏆#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #NZLvRSA pic.twitter.com/3fM63fF8FH

— Springboks (@Springboks) September 13, 2025

Erasmus also emphasised the role of the senior players in the group who stood by the younger players and helped them get ready for the Wellington showdown.

“We’re getting better. The way the guys who didn’t play last week really helped prepare the younger guys, was good to see. The next game’s result will show us where we really are.”

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Erasmus says while the world now caught a glimpse of what the future of Springbok rugby looks like, he has a squad of highly-motivated players.

“We’re a group of 45 players and these were just the guys playing tonight. Of course, they put up their hands but we’ve got some solid guys who didn’t play tonight. So we’re very proud.”

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Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images