Justin Marshall, currently in South Africa for the Greatest Rivalry series, has conceded that the South African public is justified in installing the Springboks as favourites. Responding to an All Blacks podcast host who bristled at a South African headline asking whether the All Blacks could win — rather than whether the Boks could — Marshall didn't push back. He pointed to back-to-back World Cup titles and the recent head-to-head record as giving Bok fans the standing to carry that confidence. His read of the mood on the ground is that South Africans view a drawn series as a satisfactory outcome for New Zealand — which tells you everything about how the power dynamic between these two sides is currently perceived.
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Justin Marshall: Bok fans have earned the right to call it
Justin Marshall concedes Bok fans are justified calling themselves favourites — back-to-back World Cups and recent H2H dominance have earned them that standing, and his read of South African sentiment is that locals see a series draw as a good result for the All Blacks.
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