Brad Weber's take on the Greatest Rivalry series is revealing precisely because of what he's conceding: that the All Blacks are treating this as a development exercise while the Springboks are playing to win. Down 2-1 heading into Baltimore, Weber argues the tour has been "so much more beneficial" to New Zealand because Rennie has blooded a wave of new players against both the URC sides and in the Tests themselves. His framing is that the process matters more than the scoreline right now.
The deeper argument, echoed by Muliaina, is that the Boks' current dominance mirrors what the All Blacks built between 2008 and 2015 — a settled, experienced group that instinctively knows how to manage pressure and win ugly. The 355-cap experience gap in the third Test isn't just a number; it represents exactly the kind of accumulated Test-match intelligence that can't be shortcut. Weber and Muliaina are essentially asking All Blacks fans to accept a multi-year rebuild — and pointing to the Springbok dynasty as both the benchmark and the blueprint.