Planet Rugby's player ratings from the Boks' 33-26 win over the All Blacks hand the highest marks (8/10) to Cheslin Kolbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Eben Etzebeth. Kolbe was the standout back — 59 metres made, a clean break, three defenders beaten, and an 18-point kicking return. Du Toit marked his 100th cap with 18 tackles and a powerful all-round shift, while Etzebeth matched that tackle count across a full 80 minutes. The piece also highlights the bench as a collective unit (rated 8), noting that Erasmus's much-criticised last-minute front-row shuffles — bringing in Thomas du Toit and Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead/tighthead and Deon Fourie at hooker — were justified by the performance. Malcolm Marx was singled out as a particular impact player off the bench. The only real negatives: Jesse Kriel's missed tackles contributed directly to All Blacks tries (5/10), and Lood de Jager picked up a late yellow card.
Kolbe and du Toit shine as Erasmus's selection gambles vindicated in Cape Town
Kolbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Etzebeth top the ratings as Planet Rugby's match review argues Erasmus's controversial pre-game selection changes — particularly in the front row — were vindicated by the result and the bench's collective impact.
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.
Erasmus: winning stays non-negotiable, whatever the World Cup build-up demands
Erasmus has made his 2025 season intent explicit: rotation and World Cup-building happen inside a framework where winning remains the non-negotiable baseline. The piece breaks down what that means for squad management, the veterans' standing, and why the All Blacks series carries extra weight.
The Barbarians hit-out is a key cog in Rassie's World Cup machine
Nel makes the case that the Barbarians fixture is less about the result and more about Erasmus stress-testing depth, blooding uncapped talent, and keeping the World Cup-winning core fresh — all with 2027 firmly in mind.
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.