James Parsons flagged something unusual after the All Blacks' Eden Park win — Erasmus openly admitting the Boks weren't prepared for how often Rennie's side would contest the ball at the breakdown and hold players up in the tackle. For Parsons, that candour is significant: in his reading, Erasmus virtually never concedes a preparation failure, making this a genuine signal that New Zealand caught the world champions off-guard tactically rather than simply outplaying them. The piece also features Angus Ta'avao and Mils Muliaina's takes on Rennie's building momentum — still only four Tests in — and the expectation that Wellington will see both sides innovate, with the Boks almost certain to adjust and the All Blacks unlikely to show the same hand twice. The framing is that this series is shaping up as a genuine coaching chess match with World Cup implications.
Erasmus caught off-guard: Ex-All Blacks flag rare Bok preparation lapse ahead of Wellington Test
Parsons flags that Erasmus's post-Eden Park admission — that the Boks weren't prepared for New Zealand's ball-contest tactics — is virtually unprecedented, and signals a rare tactical blind spot ahead of the Wellington decider.
- New Zealand
- Eden Park
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Rugby World Cup
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
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.
Mulder's '95 Warning: Don't Sleep on the All Blacks
1995 World Cup winner Japie Mulder warns against writing off the All Blacks ahead of the four-Test series, drawing on South Africa's own underdog story to argue the gap in rankings doesn't guarantee a comfortable series win.