Planet Rugby's player ratings from the 43-0 win over Wales hand out plenty of eights, with Jaco Williams earning the highest praise on debut — his aerial work directly creating two tries — while Vusi Moyo's composure at fly-half in his first 47 minutes of Test rugby drew the standout analytical note: he simply didn't look out of place. Cobus Wiese produced what the raters call his best international performance, and debutant tighthead Carlu Sadie turned the Welsh scrum into what the piece describes as a 'bloodbath', bullying Rhys Carré into reverse throughout. Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp and the front row collectively rated 8s underline just how deep Bok scrummaging stocks run. The main concern is Aphelele Fassi, whose handling errors continue despite the return from injury, while even Paul de Villiers — who took man of the match — was docked slightly for four first-half turnovers in the wet conditions. The full ratings are worth a read for the nuanced split between a dominant pack and a backline still finding its rhythm.
Bok rookies deliver on debut as Wiese brothers and front row dominate Wales
Williams and Moyo shine on debut, the Wiese brothers dominate, and Sadie's scrum debut is rated a 'bloodbath' — Planet Rugby scores the full 23 from the 43-0 Wales win with a few notable caveats on Fassi and handling errors.
Erasmus: 'We don't see the Nations Championship as a competition'
Erasmus says the Boks won't adjust their approach to chase Nations Championship log points — each Test is treated as a standalone match, with squad rotation across the window as the priority over competition standings.
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.
The Barbarians hit-out is a key cog in Rassie's World Cup machine
Nel makes the case that the Barbarians fixture is less about the result and more about Erasmus stress-testing depth, blooding uncapped talent, and keeping the World Cup-winning core fresh — all with 2027 firmly in mind.
Who steps up at hooker if Marx is seriously hurt?
Marx's playoff injury has exposed South Africa's unresolved hooker depth problem. The piece assesses the full candidate pool — Wessels, Grobbelaar, Van Staden, Venter, Dweba and teenage prospect Mnebelele — and what 2026 might look like as the last real development window before the World Cup.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ankle injury puts Rugby Nations Championship opener in doubt
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will miss at least the first three rounds of the Rugby Nations Championship after injuring his ankle in the Stormers' URC quarterfinal win over Cardiff, adding to a growing list of Springbok halfback concerns that already includes Cobus Reinach's knee injury.