Steve Hansen's take on last year's 43-10 Wellington hammering is worth noting for what he focuses on — not Bok brilliance, but All Black dysfunction. His read is that New Zealand looked utterly lost in terms of how to play against South Africa, and that a talent-rich side performing that way is a more troubling sign than any scoreline. He does caution against over-interpreting the margin, pointing to the 57-0 thrashing the Boks absorbed in 2017 before lifting the Webb Ellis Cup two years later — but he's careful not to use that as a let-off for Robertson's side, whose broader 2024 unravelling (losses to Argentina and England, unconvincing wins over Ireland and Scotland) painted a consistent picture. Hansen acknowledges the Boks are setting the standard as world number ones but stops short of saying they can't be beaten — framing the upcoming Greatest Rivalry tour as a genuine test of how much the new All Black coaching regime has absorbed and can answer.
Hansen: Wellington told us more about the All Blacks than the Springboks
Hansen argues the Wellington result revealed more about All Black confusion than Springbok dominance, while cautioning against scoreline fixation — and backing the new-look All Blacks to learn from the Greatest Rivalry tour.
Springboks Through Irish Eyes: Gráinne Seoige on Loftus, Rassie, and Why SA Rugby Is Unlike Anything Else
Irish TV personality Gráinne Seoige tells the Lekker Rugby Pod that walking into Loftus for the 2024 Ireland test was the most intimidating rugby atmosphere she has ever experienced, and argues that Rassie Erasmus's cultural transformation of Springbok rugby is a bigger achievement than the World Cup wins.
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.
Carter backs All Blacks to rise to the challenge — but consistency remains the question
Dan Carter backs Rennie's All Blacks to thrive under pressure, but the consistency question that plagued Robertson's tenure hasn't gone away — and the Springboks aren't waiting.