Gavin Rich's verdict on the All Blacks' 54-0 win over the Sharks in Durban is essentially: don't read too much into it. The Sharks were missing virtually every Springbok in their squad and fielded what Rich describes as closer to a C-team than a B-team, making the result a limited fitness run rather than a genuine test of All Black quality. Dave Rennie's own concern — a penalty-plagued first half and two consecutive slow starts in the warm-up fixtures — is the more meaningful takeaway. Ma'a Nonu's brief cameo off the bench was the one moment that hinted at what a competitive team might do against them. The core question Rich raises is a familiar one: whether low-intensity tour games lull visiting sides into a false sense of readiness before a Springbok test. With Ellis Park on 22 August now the only thing that matters, Rich argues the real All Black preparation is still to come.
54-0 win over a Sharks C-team tells us little about All Black readiness
The 54-0 scoreline flatters what was essentially a practice run against an understrength Sharks side. Gavin Rich flags the All Blacks' recurring slow starts and poor early discipline as the genuine concerns heading into the Ellis Park test on 22 August.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Hansen's Right to Back Himself — But the Boks' Five-Match Streak Tells a Different Story
Jean de Villiers acknowledges Hansen's logic but argues last year's results and performances make it hard to see the All Blacks closing the gap on the Boks — and the panel get genuinely animated over what a 2-2 series tiebreaker would even look like.
Springbok Recall! Relive Phepsi Buthelezi's 2025/26 Season
#SharksRugby #PhepsiButhelezi #Springboks
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.