Ant Strachan, speaking on DSPN Rugby from Johannesburg the morning after the first Test, argues that Matthew Carley's decision not to yellow card Ardie Savea was both correct and pivotal. Using the law book, Strachan explains the head-movement test: Savea's head went forward on impact, meaning force was below the neck and no card was warranted. The 'double whammy' was the psychological and numerical consequence for South Africa — convinced a yellow was coming, they instead lost Van Staden, then Reinach in quick succession, and the match closed out at 15 vs 13. Strachan is equally direct about the scrum contest, crediting the All Blacks with absorbing relentless punishment and still wresting a crucial penalty at 19-16 — a moment he rates as genuinely pivotal given South Africa's technical scrummaging proficiency. His broader read on the match: New Zealand's composure through Roigard, Love and McKenzie was the difference once SA's ferocious opening 10 minutes failed to produce a scoreboard break.
Ex-All Black backs Carley's Savea call — and explains why it was the 'double whammy' that ended South Africa
Strachan walks through the law behind Carley's correct Savea no-card ruling, breaks down how the subsequent double yellow effectively ended the contest, and assesses the scrum battle and All Blacks' composure as the defining threads of the first Test.
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.