FILE - The Springboks’ replacements enters the fray during a Test match against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria in July this year. Teams in the Six Nations have also embraced this 'bomb squad' tactic in 2025.
Image: Phill Magakoe / AFP
It seems like Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks' ‘bomb squad’ is finally catching on in the Northern Hemisphere, with most of the teams in the Six Nations going with 6-2 and even 7-1 bench splits in favour of the forwards this year.
The ‘bomb squad’ got its identity during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, when Erasmus used 6-2 bench splits to great success during the tournament.
The Springboks have a plethora of quality forwards and the thinking behind the ‘bomb ‘squad’ is for a fresh bunch of forwards to make a big impact in the second half of matches after the starters emptied the tank in the first stanza.
Erasmus ramped it up four years later, as the Springboks tested a 7-1 bench split in a 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up match against the All Blacks with great success, before using it again in the pool stages against Ireland and unleashing the ‘nuclear’ bench again in the final.
However, while the Springboks have had great success with this plan - winning games and making sure their big players aren’t overplayed - not everyone likes the idea of six or seven forwards coming onto the field to make their mark.
Most pundits, rugby bosses and coaches in the Northern Hemisphere have been against the Boks' use of their bench.
Former Scotland coach Matt Williams has been vocal in his criticism of Erasmus and the Boks’ ‘bomb squad’, saying it “discriminates against backline players” and it’s “dangerous”.
Last year, former World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said in an interview with The Times he is concerned the game is becoming over-reliant on substitutes, specifically referring to the Springboks’ success they have enjoyed by winning back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles.
However, in 2025, there seems to be a change in how teams in Europe view the 'bomb squad' tactic, with almost all the teams in the Six Nations using bench splits that are heavily in favour of the forwards.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell has employed the 6-2 split in recent matches in the Six Nations to the delight of his players, with loose forward Jack Conan saying he loves the fact that “a load of fresh forwards” take the field to try and make a difference.
France, too, have been going with 6-2 splits and brought on most of their replacement forwards at the same time in one of the matches they played. And, if reports coming out of France are anything to go by, Les Tricolores are set to employ a 7-1 bench split this weekend against Italy.
Williams is still not loving the 6-2, 7-1 benches, despite more teams using it to try and win rugby matches. His arguments that is unsafe doesn't hold any water, as studies suggest that it decreases players' playing time, thus negating the risk of injury.
France and Ireland face the Springboks at the end of the year and it’s clear that they are trying to develop a strategy that can compete with the double defending world champions.
Imitation is the best form for flattery. The Springboks are world rugby trendsetters, and if you can’t beat them, joining them.
@JohnGoliath82