Thomas du Toit has shared his ideal scrummaging lineup, and the selections are as revealing as the reasoning. Marx gets the nod at hooker on scrummaging grounds alone — du Toit points to his 8-stud boots as proof of his commitment. Etzebeth gets the lock spot not for sheer mass but for his explosiveness and speed into contact, which du Toit argues is the more valuable combination. At flanker, Bath teammates Ted Hill and Guy Pepper edge out Kolisi — though du Toit is quick to flag that Kolisi is probably the back-rower who stays bound longest in a scrum until the ball exits. The piece also captures how deeply the Springbok scrummaging culture travels with du Toit: on his first day back at Bath after an international window, he was already pulling Pepper and Ross Molony up on equipment slippage. It's a sharp window into how the Bok scrum mentality operates at franchise level.
Du Toit's dream scrum: Marx, Etzebeth, and the Bath culture shift
Du Toit names Marx and Etzebeth as his ideal scrummaging hooker and lock, praises Ted Hill as a 'freak' flanker, and reveals how he imported Bok scrum standards straight back to Bath on day one.
Du Toit's dream scrum: Marx, Etzebeth, and the Springbok culture he exported to Bath
Du Toit names Marx and Etzebeth as his ideal scrummaging hooker and lock, praises Kolisi's set-piece staying power, and reveals how Springbok scrum standards followed him back to Bath.
O'Keeffe stands by his calls in France vs Springboks — still proud, still scarred
O'Keeffe revisits the France-Springboks quarter-final controversy, stands by his performance, and opens up on the personal fallout — while drawing a pointed parallel to Wayne Barnes as someone defined by one call but remembered for a career.
Biggar calls out SA's 'half-pregnant' Champions Cup stance — but who actually holds the power?
Biggar argues SA holds real leverage in Champions Cup negotiations given their commercial dominance, but calls out the franchises — particularly the Sharks — for undermining that position with weakened lineups. The full panel debate digs into whether SA's options are as powerful as they look, with Goode making the case that the structural mismatch between hemispheres leaves them in a genuine bind.
Janse van Rensburg at the top of England's centre pecking order — and what it means for the Boks
Borthwick's centre headache has a new frontrunner: Janse van Rensburg is rated the likely starter at 12 for England's Tests against Fiji and Argentina, though he's ineligible for the opener against the Springboks. The piece ranks all options at 12 and 13, with Freeman locked in outside and Slade unlucky to be on the fringes.
Du Toit opens up on battling through rugby's toughest prop depth chart
Du Toit reflects on a stop-start Bok career he attributes to playing in South Africa's deepest-ever prop generation, and details how Erasmus's staff use targeted, low-frequency contact to keep overseas-based players aligned with Springbok systems.