Deon Davids's message ahead of the Baltimore Test is pointed: the Springbok pack, despite its dominance across the series, is still a work in progress. The numbers back his confidence — a 93.9% lineout success rate against New Zealand's 82.1%, a penalty try forced through scrum pressure in the third Test, and a 25-metre rolling maul that unlocked a crucial try. What makes the warning credible is the acknowledgement that set-piece cohesion is still improving, not plateauing. The early-season rotation policy has quietly built genuine forward depth, and Davids suggests the various combinations are only now hitting their stride. For an All Blacks pack already under the pump, the prospect of facing a Springbok eight that isn't yet its finished article is a grim one.
Davids warns the Bok pack hasn't peaked yet — and that should worry the All Blacks
Deon Davids says the dominant Springbok pack is still not the finished article — which, given the set-piece numbers already stacked against the All Blacks across this series, is a sobering thought heading into Baltimore.
- Deon Davids
- Springboks
- New Zealand
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.