Planet Rugby's player-by-player breakdown of the 29-24 loss in Johannesburg makes one thing clear: New Zealand were competitive for as long as Ardie Savea was on the field and the backs held their shape. Savea (8) was dominant in the first half — two tries, hard carries, resolute defence — but left with a shoulder injury that could end his season, and the All Blacks visibly fell away without him. Will Jordan (8) and Jordie Barrett (8) were again New Zealand's standout backs, while Cam Roigard (7) continued his seamless form at nine. The damage, though, was done by the wings on defence: Leroy Carter drew a blunt 4, with his cover attempts on two Springbok tries described as weak and outright shambolic. Up front, the tighthead axis was a recurring problem — Lomax and Bower were both rated 4, bullied by Nche and Louw respectively in what the piece calls a chastening tour for the props. The replacements couldn't shift the momentum, and without Savea's leadership at eight, Wallace Sititi failed to fill the void.
All Blacks ratings: Savea's injury, shambolic defence hand Boks the series
Planet Rugby's All Blacks ratings from the Johannesburg Test pin the defeat on Savea's shoulder injury and defensive lapses from the back three — Carter rated a blunt 4 for two failed cover attempts — while the tighthead props again struggled badly against Nche and Louw.
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.