The piece uses the All Blacks' victory over the Springboks in the Greatest Rivalry opener to make a broader argument: that New Zealand's depth and quality in Super Rugby Pacific has been unfairly dismissed since South Africa's franchise exodus, and last weekend's result at Ellis Park is the rebuttal. With Mo'unga and Barrett rested against the Lions while a second-string All Blacks side remains arguably world-class, the column argues that any competition anchored by that talent pool demands respect. On the Springbok side, it acknowledges the Boks squandered enough chances to have won, making a response series very much on the cards. The second half shifts to Les Kiss and the Wallabies, arguing he should resist the temptation to rush Ikitau and Suaalii back against Argentina — both Paisami and Henry earned another run, Suaalii is better deployed in the back three for now, and with eight Tests before the World Cup, Kiss has room to experiment rather than panic-select his best combinations too early.
All Blacks' Ellis Park win is Super Rugby's vindication — and the Wallabies face a balancing act
The All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry win is framed as vindication for Super Rugby Pacific's relevance, while the Wallabies column urges Kiss to prioritise combination-building over star recalls ahead of a demanding Rugby Championship campaign.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027
A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.
Hansen: Wellington told us more about the All Blacks than the Springboks
Hansen argues the Wellington result revealed more about All Black confusion than Springbok dominance, while cautioning against scoreline fixation — and backing the new-look All Blacks to learn from the Greatest Rivalry tour.
Lions launch 'Beyond29' project to explore tours outside traditional SANZAAR rotation
The British and Irish Lions have launched a formal 'Beyond29' project to investigate touring destinations and commercial models outside their traditional South Africa, Australia and New Zealand rotation. France, Japan and the Americas are among the territories being assessed, with consultancies asked to evaluate host nation allocation models including scrapping or extending the current 12-year cycle. The move is driven by an acknowledgement that the existing rotation may be approaching its commercial ceiling.