John Kirwan was in Cape Town on Friday pushing back hard against Rassie's public framing of the All Blacks as favourites ahead of the DHL Stadium Test. Kirwan's read: the Boks are four-time world champions who've been the benchmark for years, which means the pressure to level the series sits squarely on South Africa's shoulders. He expects the Boks to adjust tactically — more conservative, a sharper in-field kicking game to pin the All Blacks deep — but also believes the All Blacks will improve on their Ellis Park performance. His broader argument is that this Test comes down to winning critical moments scattered across 80 minutes, and that those moments will be close enough to split a few points either way.
AnalysisSpringboksRugby365
Kirwan: Don't buy the underdog act — but the Boks are under real pressure in Cape Town
Kirwan rejects Rassie's underdog framing and turns it around: the pressure is on the world champions to respond in Cape Town. He expects a tighter, more conservative Bok approach but sees a few decisive moments — not a margin — settling the series.
- Rassie Erasmus
- New Zealand
- Springboks
- DHL Stadium
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