Steve Hansen has given a detailed breakdown of how the All Blacks can exploit the Springbok rush defence, and his analysis centres on a single linchpin: Jesse Kriel. Hansen describes Kriel — operating in tandem with the wing — as the 'hinge player' whose timing and positioning make the blitz work. The counter, he argues, is depth and ball control in the pocket: if the receiver has enough time and space to get the ball away past Kriel, there's green grass beyond. The piece contextualises this against Dave Rennie's All Blacks, who have been deliberately building a playmaker-heavy structure — Roigard, Love, Jordie Barrett, McKenzie and Jordan all capable of executing that precise, pressured pass — with the Nations Championship showing early signs of the wider-channel game Rennie wants. Hansen's broader point is psychological as much as tactical: deny Kriel what he's hunting, and frustration follows. Whether the All Blacks' timing and accuracy are yet sharp enough to execute that under Test pressure is the question the full piece explores.
Hansen identifies Kriel as the Boks' 'hinge player' — and the All Blacks' key to cracking the blitz
Hansen pinpoints Jesse Kriel as the linchpin of the Springbok blitz and outlines exactly how the All Blacks' playmaker depth can exploit it — if their timing and depth hold up under pressure.
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.