Angus Opperman's player-by-player breakdown of the 17-10 Rugby Championship win over Argentina reflects a team finding its feet after a wave of injury returns. Grobbelaar (8/10) and Hanekom (8/10) lead the ratings — the hooker topping the carries chart and the No.8 scoring the decisive late try despite two penalty concessions. Van der Merwe and Ethan Hooker both earn 7.5s for their work on the wings, with Hooker especially impressive given his extended absence. The real story, though, is the rust across the park: Etzebeth and Kolisi both rate a 5, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is flagged as erratic, and Moodie underwhelms at 13. Among the bench, Porthen catches the eye as a dynamic scrumming option, while the verdict on Dixon is blunt — Opperman isn't convinced he's Pieter-Steph du Toit's successor. A useful snapshot of where individuals stand in the selection picture heading deeper into the Rugby Championship.
Grobbelaar and Hanekom stand out in a scratchy Bok win over Los Pumas
Opperman's ratings from the narrow Argentina win highlight Grobbelaar and Hanekom as the standouts, but paint a broader picture of rust and underperformance across a squad returning from injury — with real implications for Rugby Championship selection.
Argentina trip will reveal Erasmus's first-choice XV for the All Blacks series
The 15 Boks staying home while a second group travels to Buenos Aires are shaping up as the All Blacks series core. Feinberg-Mngomezulu's availability, Etzebeth's concussion clearance, and Esterhuizen's recovery are the key variables to watch as the selection picture firms up.
Nations Championship done — now Erasmus faces his real selection headache
The Nations Championship was the easy part. This piece breaks down the selection puzzle Erasmus now faces ahead of the All Blacks series — who's locked in, who needs to prove fitness in Buenos Aires, and how Paul de Villiers has complicated the Kolisi question.
Bomb Squad saves the Boks, but SFM and the returning stars leave questions unanswered
The Bomb Squad bailed the Boks out in Buenos Aires, but SFM's errors, De Jager's struggles and Kolisi's injury exit mean the narrow win raises as many selection questions as it answers ahead of the All Blacks opener.
Kolisi awaits scan results as Springboks manage hamstring concern ahead of All Blacks series
Siya Kolisi will undergo a scan to determine the severity of a hamstring injury suffered after 24 minutes of South Africa's 17-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires, with Rassie Erasmus offering cautious optimism ahead of the All Blacks series.
Erasmus splits the squad: Argentina gets a proper team, but the All Blacks prep starts now
Erasmus is running a deliberate two-track operation — a full-strength group heads to Argentina while a separate contingent stays home to prep for the All Blacks, with player management decisions like resting Du Toit already pointing to where the real priority lies.