Planet Rugby has gone through every All Blacks forward from the 3-1 series defeat to the Springboks, and the picture is mixed at best. Savea earns the standout mark of 9 for two-and-a-half dominant Tests before injury, while Fabian Holland (8) surprised given he went into the tour carrying virtually no match time. Ethan Blackadder's emergence at openside in the final Test is flagged as a genuine selection headache for Rennie going forward. The real concern, though, is at prop: Tyrel Lomax (3) was consistently reversed by Nche, Pasilio Tosi (2) was 'utterly annihilated' despite a strong Super Rugby campaign, and the tighthead depth chart looks dangerously thin with Tamaiti Williams absent. Fletcher Newell (7) is quietly identified as the scrum's stabilising force, which tells its own story. The hooker conversation is shifting too, with Aumua (8) applying real pressure on the ageing Taylor (5) for a consistent starting berth.
All Blacks forwards rated: Savea shines but the scrum tells a worrying World Cup story
A granular forward-by-forward rating from the 3-1 series loss — the loose forward depth looks encouraging, but a fragile tighthead scrum is flagged as a genuine World Cup concern.
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.
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.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.