Erasmus has named essentially the same side that beat the All Blacks — Moerat stepping in for Etzebeth the only meaningful change — and the piece argues that combination, up against an injury-ravaged Azzurri missing Brex and Menoncello, makes a heavy Bok win inevitable. The analysis identifies three battlegrounds: the set-piece (Italy's scrum could cause early problems, with Ferrari a genuine threat), the aerial game (Capuozzo and sharp kicking from Fusco and Garbisi offer Italy their best route to competitiveness), and the breakdown (where the Kolisi-PSdT-Wiese loose trio, making their 20th start together and the most capped Bok back-row combination of all time, face a largely inexperienced Italian three with two players on fewer than three caps). The piece expects Italy to compete through the first half before the Bomb Squad settles it emphatically — with a 40-plus point margin predicted and points difference very much on the Boks' agenda ahead of Nations Championship Finals Weekend. Two Boks worth watching: Moerat, who'll face scrutiny despite Erasmus's backing, and Wessels, being given the full November window to press his claim as Marx's deputy after switching from loosehead duties.
Bomb Squad explosion 'inevitable' as injury-hit Italy face full-strength Boks in Turin
Erasmus names his strongest available side — the All Blacks-beating combination plus Moerat — against an Azzurri missing their world-class centre pairing. The piece breaks down where Italy can compete (set-piece, aerial game) before the Bomb Squad takes over, and previews the two Boks with the most to prove on the day.
Erasmus: winning stays non-negotiable, whatever the World Cup build-up demands
Erasmus has made his 2025 season intent explicit: rotation and World Cup-building happen inside a framework where winning remains the non-negotiable baseline. The piece breaks down what that means for squad management, the veterans' standing, and why the All Blacks series carries extra weight.
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.
Lock depth crisis or overcrowding? The Bok second row picture before England arrives
Rich maps the Springbok lock depth picture — persistent injuries, the Barbarians squad call-ups of Van Heerden and Smith, and why this week's fixtures matter for World Cup preparation — while flagging Schickerling's continued absence as an overlooked gap.