Juan de Jongh has weighed in on what to expect from the four-Test Greatest Rivalry series, and his message is clear — the All Blacks' rebuilding narrative doesn't make them easy prey. Speaking at the Klipdrift-SA Rugby partnership launch, De Jongh argues that a cornered All Blacks side under Dave Rennie, written off by most, will be precisely the dangerous version. His prediction: 2-2 or at best 3-1 to the Boks, but emphatically not a whitewash. He draws on his own experience — including a 95,000-strong FNB Stadium clash in 2010 where facing Nonu and Conrad Smith in tandem was, in his words, 'deadly' — to underline that no South Africa-New Zealand series is ever straightforward. The piece also notes this is the first All Blacks tour to South Africa in 30 years, adding historical weight to a series that runs from Ellis Park through Cape Town and Joburg before finishing in Baltimore.
De Jongh warns: don't expect a Bok clean sweep against wounded All Blacks
De Jongh predicts a tight Greatest Rivalry series, cautioning against any expectation of a Bok clean sweep — a wounded All Blacks side with something to prove under Rennie is, in his view, a very different proposition to one simply in decline.
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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.