Four of the ten Springbok centurions reached triple figures against the All Blacks — Montgomery, Smit, Jean de Villiers, and most recently Damian de Allende last week — and all four lost. Pieter-Steph du Toit becomes the fifth to hit 100 caps against New Zealand, and the piece frames his milestone around whether he can finally break that pattern. Sean Fitzpatrick, tipped off about the curse by Bryan Habana, offered a cheerfully partisan 'hopefully that may continue.' The piece also flags late Bok selection drama — Pollard's late withdrawal hands Feinberg-Mngomezulu the No.10 jersey, with Libbok coming into the 23, while Kolbe is restored at the expense of Arendse. Fitzpatrick's broader read is that the All Blacks won't ease off despite holding a series lead, but acknowledges the scrum-penalty indiscipline from Johannesburg left points on the table that a Cape Town crowd and a wounded Bok side will make them pay for if repeated.
Du Toit's 100th cap carries a curse — and Sean Fitzpatrick hopes it holds
Pieter-Steph du Toit's 100th cap against the All Blacks comes loaded with historical baggage — every Springbok centurion who's hit the milestone against New Zealand has lost. The piece tracks that pattern, gets Fitzpatrick's tongue-in-cheek take on it, and covers the late selection shake-up that hands Feinberg-Mngomezulu a Test start.
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.
Quan Horn at 10, Du Toit's return, and an 18-point Bok win predicted — Boks v Barbarians preview
Quan Horn's surprise start at fly-half headlines a Boks v Barbarians preview that also tracks Du Toit's comeback, Kolbe's kicking duties, and whether the Barbarians can make a better fist of it than last year's 54-7 Cape Town hammering. An 18-point Bok win is predicted.
Horn at 10, a Stormers-heavy Bomb Squad, and five uncapped faces — five things to know about the Boks' Barbarians selection
Erasmus has named Quan Horn at fly-half — his first professional start at 10 — with Kolbe taking kicking duties, a Stormers-heavy Bomb Squad replacing the usual faces, and five uncapped players handed their moment ahead of the Nations Championship.
Five things that matter in Erasmus's Barbarians squad
Planet Rugby breaks down the five key talking points from Erasmus's Barbarians squad: Horn's unprecedented fly-half debut, Du Toit's injury comeback, a heavily rotated Bomb Squad drawn entirely from the Stormers, and five uncapped players given their shot before the Nations Championship opener.
Erasmus backs Quan Horn to deliver at 10 as Kolbe takes over kicking duties against Barbarians
Rassie Erasmus has explained the decision to start Quan Horn at fly-half against the Barbarians, citing the unavailability of Pollard, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Libbok, while confirming Cheslin Kolbe will handle kicking duties to ease Horn into the role.