Planet Rugby's match ratings from the Springboks' series-clinching 43-28 win in Baltimore hand the standout marks to Kurt-Lee Arendse (10) and Morne van den Berg (9). Arendse was exceptional — three linebreaks from the wing before shifting to fullback and scoring the try that put the game to bed. Van den Berg, touch-and-go to make the series at all, justified his start emphatically with the Man of the Match award, his try-scoring instincts and all-round sharpness drawing the highest praise. Damian de Allende (8) and Malcolm Marx (8) were the pick of the rest before Marx was forced off injured, with the piece flagging him as a strong Player of the Series contender. Jasper Wiese was also rewarded with an 8 for a physically dominant shift. The low notes were the front row's struggles at scrum time — Louw and Nche both rated 5 — and a mixed bench performance that included a Cameron Hanekom standout (including the steal-and-score that finished New Zealand off) alongside some loose moments from Libbok.
Baltimore player ratings: Arendse and Van den Berg steal the show in 43-28 RGR clincher
Full match ratings from the 43-28 Baltimore win: Arendse earns a 10, Van den Berg a 9, while the front row's scrum troubles and a mixed bench showing keep this from being a clean sweep.
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.