OPINION: Should the Boks go all out, or test depth in Cape Town?

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has a number of tricky decisions to make ahead of the second Rugby Championship Test between the Boks and All Blacks at the Cape Town Stadium this weekend.

The Boks stunning come from behind 31-27 win at Ellis Park, coupled with Argentina being upset at home by the Wallabies, has given them significant breathing room on the Rugby Championship log, with the Boks on 14 points, ahead of New Zealand on six, Los Pumas on five and Australia on four.

This means that they could effectively afford to lose their next two games, while picking up losing bonus points, and still win the competition in the final match, although that is not a position they would want to be in.

But due to the gap built up, they have a golden opportunity to give their fringe players a run down the back end of the competition, although Erasmus will have to carefully decide what he wants to achieve.

Making wholesale changes for the second game against the All Blacks is an option, and it is a great chance to throw in some of their inexperienced players to give them a taste of facing one of the best teams in the world.

History makers

But that could come at the cost of the Boks losing the match, as the All Blacks would be desperate not to go down against a second string team.

It would also see the Boks chances of making history come to an end, with them on the verge of beating their biggest rivals four times in a row for the first time in the professional era, and just the second time in their entire history.

In terms of confidence and stamping their authority over the All Blacks, it might be better for Erasmus to back his strongest team against them, and if they can pick up another win it would likely seal the Rugby Championship.

That would give the Boks license to unleash their fringe brigade in their final two Rugby Championship games against Argentina, in Buenos Aires and in Mbombela.

In the end it will come down to what experience Erasmus believes his extended squad needs at this stage in their development, and he luckily has the freedom to decide that.