Rugby365 runs through the All Blacks' individual performances from their 33-16 win over the Springboks at Ellis Park. Jordie Barrett earns the highest rating (8.5/10) for a dominant all-round display — 15 tackles, two try-saving interventions and a try assist. Will Jordan (8/10) grabbed a brace and made two line breaks, while the loose trio of Savea, Jacobson and Vaa'i all rated 7.5 or above. The front row tells a different story: Lomax, de Groot and Josh Lord all rated 4/10, with the starting tight five unable to handle Bok scrum pressure before the bench reversed the tide. Ruben Love was quietly effective rather than influential, and Roigard had a nervy start before settling. Worth reading if you want a granular breakdown of where the All Blacks' attacking fluency came from — and confirmation of just how comprehensively the Bok scrum dominated the first-half set piece.
All Blacks player ratings: Who shone and who struggled in the Ellis Park win
Jordie Barrett headlined a strong All Blacks backline display at Ellis Park, but the starting front row was badly exposed by Bok scrum pressure — Rugby365 rates every New Zealand player from the 33-16 win.
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.