Patrick Tuipulotu is pushing back on the narrative that New Zealand head into Ellis Park as underdogs, framing Saturday's opener as a de facto number-one ranking decider rather than a damage-limitation exercise. His more interesting contribution, though, is tactical: he's seen enough of the Boks to know that these Tests are decided in the final minutes, and that the margins come down to discipline and set-piece composure under pressure — exactly the areas where South Africa have been ruthless under Erasmus. Tuipulotu also draws a clear line between the momentum the All Blacks have built across three tour matches against franchise sides and the step-change in intensity a Test against the world's top-ranked team demands, flagging mental readiness as the critical variable.
All Blacks reject underdog label — but know exactly where Bok Tests are won and lost
Tuipulotu dismisses the underdog tag and frames Ellis Park as a virtual world number-one decider, while identifying discipline and late-game mental fortitude — not upfront power — as the real battleground against the Boks.
- New Zealand
- Springboks
- Rassie Erasmus
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.
Mulder's '95 Warning: Don't Sleep on the All Blacks
1995 World Cup winner Japie Mulder warns against writing off the All Blacks ahead of the four-Test series, drawing on South Africa's own underdog story to argue the gap in rankings doesn't guarantee a comfortable series 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.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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