Planet Rugby's winners-and-losers breakdown of the 29-24 All Blacks victory at FNB Stadium finds more to praise in defeat than the scoreline suggests. The standout narrative is the Bok front row — Nche, Marx and Louw — absolutely dismantling their opposite numbers, with Bower and Lomax both hauled off early in the second half. Marx gets particular acclaim, his set-piece authority and try adding to a 2025 World Rugby Player of the Year case. The Bomb Squad also finally justified its reputation after misfiring in the first two Tests, with De Jager, Hanekom and Esterhuizen controlling the physical battle after the break, and Van den Berg and Libbok managing the playmaking duties competently despite Kolbe's early exit with a broken jaw.
On the debit side, Feinberg-Mngomezulu's struggles continue — sin-binned, fortunate to avoid a second yellow, and largely ineffective throughout. Leroy Carter's defensive frailties were costly for the All Blacks, and Rennie draws scrutiny: the piece notes that, despite his more expansive approach, the two defeats in South Africa compare unfavourably to what Robertson's side produced in the 2024 double-header. Jason Ryan's forward unit is flagged as a structural concern, with the scrum, lineout and maul all deteriorating since mid-2025 — a trend the piece argues must be reversed before any World Cup conversation is credible.