Off the back of what many are calling his coming-of-age Test — 13 carries for 82 metres, a decisive try, and standout breakdown work against Argentina — Cameron Hanekom is refusing to read too much into the hype. Speaking after the third Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium, where he again made an immediate impact off the bench, Hanekom was clear-eyed about his position: the No.8 jersey is far from his, and he knows it. With Erasmus building toward 2027, Hanekom sees the loosie competition as a daily fight rather than a settled pecking order — and that mindset may be exactly what keeps him in the frame.
Hanekom: No complacency as loosie battle heats up
Hanekom reflects on his breakout Rugby Championship performances and why he's not taking his place in the Bok setup for granted as the 2027 World Cup cycle builds.
- Argentina
- New Zealand
- FNB Stadium
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
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.
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.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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