Erasmus is furious at Rennie's decision to go public with scrum complaints ahead of the second Rugby Championship Test, calling it a deliberate media pressure campaign. His core argument: the Boks have never once been accused of 'walking around' in their scrumming, and the timing — immediately after being dominated at the set-piece in Test one — tells him everything he needs to know about where New Zealand's heads are at. He pointedly noted that South Africa didn't cry foul after multiple unpenalised head contacts, and warns the referees can be manipulated by pre-match narrative-setting. The piece captures a Rassie in combative form — this is the media-warfare dimension of the series rivalry, and it signals the Boks have no intention of absorbing accusations quietly.
Erasmus fires back at Rennie: 'Don't come with that nonsense'
Erasmus has gone on the offensive after Rennie raised scrum-legality concerns with World Rugby, dismissing it as a pressure tactic and warning that South Africa will push back hard on any attempt to shape referee thinking through the media ahead of the decisive Tests.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- New Zealand
- Rugby Championship
Erasmus welcomes clarity on Tony Brown's post-2027 departure: 'We've made the mistake in the past'
Tony Brown will join the All Blacks coaching staff in 2028 after his Springbok contract expires at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus welcoming the early clarity as SA Rugby looks to avoid the contractual uncertainty that complicated preparations for France 2023.
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.
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.