Johan Coetzee breaks down the turning points in South Africa's 29-24 third Test win over New Zealand — a match the Boks spent the first half hour simply surviving. The analysis identifies five pivotal moments: Kolbe's composed response to Jordan's counter-attack threat that bought the Boks crucial breathing room; the Savea shoulder injury at a Marx-driven breakdown that now rules the All Blacks captain out of the Baltimore decider; the emphatic scrum penalty try that silenced a week's worth of noise about the legality of South Africa's set piece; the wind-assisted McKenzie kick that carried into touch and flipped the momentum completely; and the closing maul that Marx finished beneath the posts to seal the result. The piece's overarching argument is structural: New Zealand can fix defensive systems in a week, but they can't manufacture forward power. That physical reality, compounded by Savea's absence, shapes the decider in ways that look very promising for South Africa.
Five moments that decided the Rugby Championship Test and handed the Boks a 2-1 series lead
Coetzee identifies five pivotal moments in the Boks' 29-24 third Test win — from Kolbe's defensive composure to a match-sealing Marx maul — and argues the forward dominance that decided this one will be even harder for New Zealand to counter in Baltimore, particularly without the injured Savea.
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.