A Springbok win in Baltimore on Saturday would make them the first South African side since 2009 to beat the All Blacks three times in a single year — a feat achieved only once before, when De Villiers's squad swept the Tri Nations series that year across Bloemfontein, Durban, and Hamilton. The symmetry is striking: two wins on home soil and one away, the same pattern as 2009, even if Baltimore is neutral rather than New Zealand territory. The piece frames the historical weight of what's at stake, and notes that if the Boks fall short, the next RGR series is four years away in 2030.
Boks chasing a feat only Pieter de Villiers's side has managed
A Bok win in Baltimore would mirror the 2009 Tri Nations sweep — the only time SA has beaten the All Blacks three times in one year. The piece draws the historical parallel and frames what's at stake before Saturday's series decider.
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Jake White
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.
Jake White: Henry's All Blacks return is a 'masterстroke' — and he's no ordinary selector
White calls Henry's return a masterstroke — not because of his selector credentials, but because of the psychological and cultural weight he brings to a rebuilding All Blacks camp. White also makes a pointed broader argument about the game's failure to learn from history, using his own 2007 World Cup experience as a case study.
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.