James Parsons singles out Cobus Wiese as his Springbok star of the Nations Championship, describing him as a rare combination of athleticism and physicality — an Etzebeth-tier presence who flew somewhat under the radar amid the wider praise for Pieter-Steph, Damian Willemse and Jasper Wiese. On the All Blacks side, Parsons backs Luke Jacobson as his pick despite the flanker being a surprise selection. Paul de Villiers gets credit for his breakdown work from co-host Bryn Hall, but Parsons is more measured — noting that de Villiers' 23 touches and 18 carries came with five handling errors, and drawing a parallel with Harry Wilson's early Test career tendency to overplay. The broader point is that de Villiers needs to learn to pick his moments rather than chase volume, especially in a Bok loose trio with enough weapons to make predictability a liability.
Cobus Wiese the standout Bok as ex-All Black rates Nations Championship performers
Parsons names Cobus Wiese his Bok standout from the Nations Championship — an athletic-yet-brutal presence he compares favourably to Etzebeth — while offering a nuanced critique of de Villiers' overuse tendencies despite his impressive work rate.
Nations Championship done — now Erasmus faces his real selection headache
The Nations Championship was the easy part. This piece breaks down the selection puzzle Erasmus now faces ahead of the All Blacks series — who's locked in, who needs to prove fitness in Buenos Aires, and how Paul de Villiers has complicated the Kolisi question.
Five takeaways from Erasmus's bold Wales selection — and what the 5:3 bench signals about where the Boks are heading
Planet Rugby unpacks why Erasmus's Wales selection is more than injury-driven tinkering — four debutants are carefully scaffolded by experienced teammates, while the rare 5:3 bench split signals a genuine structural commitment to the Boks' new attacking identity.
Five Boks in Round One Team of the Week as Willemse Claims Player of the Weekend
South Africa dominate Planet Rugby's Round One Team of the Week with five selections, headlined by Willemse's Player of the Weekend on his 50th cap and strong showings from Marx, both Du Toits, Kriel and a debut-making De Villiers.
Expect the unexpected: KEO's predicted 23 for England — and why Erasmus might ignore it
KEO maps out a full predicted 23 for the England Test, but the piece is really about whether Erasmus prioritises the win or uses July as an extended All Blacks audition — and why the answer shapes every tight selection call from loosehead cover to the No 8 shootout.
Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall: Boks, France and All Blacks are in a squad depth class of their own
Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall argue that the Boks, France and All Blacks occupy a different tier of squad depth — using the Nations Championship round two results to show that all three can rotate heavily and still win convincingly. Marshall's specific point on South Africa: the fact that it was 14-all at half-time against Scotland, before a largely second-string Bok side found a way through, is exactly the kind of problem-solving under pressure Erasmus will value most.