Jeff Wilson's core argument on Sky Sports NZ's Breakdown is that the All Blacks spent roughly a decade playing into opposition strengths rather than their own — trying to physically dominate the Boks, out-structure Ireland, out-flair France — and losing ground as a result. His read on Dave Rennie's influence is that New Zealand have returned to what actually made them dangerous: pace, conditioning, skill, and putting teams under relentless pressure. The shift in framing is telling — from 'stop them' to 'you try and stop us.'
For the upcoming four-Test series against South Africa, Wilson's position is nuanced: the All Blacks don't need to out-muscle the Boks, they just need parity in the set piece and collisions. If they get that, their broader skillset does the rest. Mils Muliaina and James Parsons back the thesis, with Parsons adding that the tempo Rennie has installed is already making set-piece contests easier later in games as fatigue compounds. Worth reading for the specific framing around what 'parity' looks like against a Springbok pack, and what it means for New Zealand's tactical approach heading into the series.