Erasmus Welcomes Potential All Blacks Quarter-Final In 2027 RWC
Rassie Erasmus says he has no problem with the possibility that Springboks may face All Blacks in the quarter-finals of the 2027 Rugby World Cup — a scenario that would recreate the drama of the 2023 final.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup draw took place on Wednesday, pitting four-time Rugby World Cup Champions South Africa against Italy, Georgia, and Romania in Pool B.
While the 2027 edition of the tournament takes on a revised format, with six pools of four teams and an all-new round of 16 as the first knockout stage, talk of South Africa facing New Zealand as early as the quarter-final has dominated proceedings.
As discussions swirl around the possibility of meeting New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals, the message from within the camp is one of calm acceptance. The Springboks insist that big teams must be faced eventually, regardless of the stage, and that you must play the best if you wish to go all the way.
Erasmus made reference to the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour when New Zealand and South Africa restore hostilities as the great teams do battle in August and September 2026.
As the Springboks and the All Blacks are used to each other in the Rugby Championship, South Africa will host Scott Robertson’s side in four Tests – in Cape Town at DHL Stadium, twice in Johannesburg at Ellis Park and FNB Stadium – as well as a fourth Test hosted at a neutral international venue.
Erasmus weighed in with his input, “Next year we’ll play them four times, so we’ll be used to one another. I can’t say I am disappointed or glad about that.”
While some might dread running into top-tier opponents too early in the knockouts, he insists the team is satisfied with the outcome.
“I’m 100 percent happy. As far as I know, there could’ve been a negative if you landed outside the top six. We just tried to finish as high as possible this year. Georgia and Romania bring real physicality – you’re never going to get a perfect draw.
“The only bad thing about a quarter-final is that if you lose, you go straight home,” Erasmus said with a grin.
“In a semi-final, you at least stay and play the third/fourth-place play-off. But that’s the draw. We need to go with it and start planning for it.”
The Springboks ended 2025 ranked number one in World Rugby’s rankings, with a reasonable distance separating them and second-placed New Zealand.
Entering the tournament as favourites and chasing a potential fifth title brings external noise and a sense of expectation – but the squad remains focused and grounded.
“We’re thinking about next year first. We have a new competition next year, the Nations Championship. We are trying to build and be a very competitive team to win it.”
He continued: “You can lose the favourites tag quickly if you have a bad year, especially the year before the World Cup.
“I don’t think tags bother us. I don’t think the team has ever responded negatively to pressure, so we hope that doesn’t dry up.”
With Australia exposed to wildly varying climates teams could face, from humid northern conditions to cold nights in Melbourne – adapting to those extremes is already part of the planning mindset, something that Erasmus has already given thought to.
“We do think about it. It’s like playing in Buenos Aires or Santiago – you almost die because of the heat. Playing in Perth and Melbourne is a massive difference,” he said.
“We’ve been fortunate these last few years when playing in Australia – we’ve been taken to different places.
“I am more worried about the travelling time and where you’re based – that hasn’t been cleared up yet.
“Until we know the travel time, we can’t properly plan for who we’re playing or what rest periods look like. I think travel time will play a massive role in this World Cup.”
