Israel Dagg, appearing on the Behind the Ruck podcast with Juan de Jongh and Rudy Paige, has flagged Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx as the two Springboks the All Blacks need to manage carefully ahead of the third test at FNB Stadium. With the series locked at 1-1, Dagg acknowledged that the Boks dominated the physical battle in Johannesburg before New Zealand found more parity at scrum time in Cape Town. He's cautiously optimistic about All Blacks improvement, but his specific warning about Marx — three turnovers in Cape Town and lethal in open space — and Nche's carrying power signals where he thinks the test will be won or lost. The lineout also registers as an ongoing concern.
Dagg singles out Nche and Marx as the danger men for All Blacks in Soweto
Dagg rates the Bok front row as the key threat in Soweto, singling out Marx's turnover threat and Nche's carrying as the dangers the All Blacks must contain to take a 2-1 series lead.
- Malcolm Marx
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- FNB Stadium
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.
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.
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.