With the four-Test series kicking off on August 22, Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson used the For The Love Of Rugby podcast to weigh up the Kolbe vs Jordan debate in some depth. The verdict is nuanced: Watson gives Jordan the edge in raw pace — noting his effortless, gliding stride — and the numbers back Jordan's superior try-scoring efficiency (nearly a try a game at Test level vs Kolbe's 0.5). But on the one-on-one question, Watson is unequivocal: Kolbe has the best footwork the game has ever seen, and facing him in the wide channels is essentially a foregone conclusion. Youngs, who knows from bitter 2019 World Cup experience, puts it bluntly — you know it's coming and there's nothing you can do. Watson also makes the case that Kolbe's all-court versatility — lineout throwing, goal-kicking, covering nine, ten and fullback — makes him arguably the most complete player the game has produced, size aside. Louis Bielle-Biarrey gets honourable mention as the heir apparent, but Watson ranks him third for now, citing gaps in his first-receiver work and one-on-one footwork relative to the other two.
Kolbe vs Jordan: Watson and Youngs settle the greatest winger debate ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series
Watson and Youngs break down Kolbe vs Jordan ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series — Jordan edges on speed and try-scoring efficiency, but Kolbe's one-on-one footwork is rated the best ever, and his all-court game puts him in a category of his own.
How the Boks turned a humiliating Ellis Park loss into a 3-1 series triumph
A full post-series breakdown of the Boks' 3-1 Greatest Rivalry win, arguing that Erasmus's in-series adjustments were the turning point — while flagging the preparation miscalculation that handed the All Blacks the opener.
Baltimore breakdown: Arendse stakes his claim, Fourie makes history, and the officials' comms go dark
A winners-and-losers breakdown of the Boks' Baltimore win, with Arendse's history-making try and Fourie's age record leading the headlines, while Vaa'i's indiscipline and questions over Taylor's World Cup spot dominate the All Blacks' side of the ledger.
Baltimore thriller: Arendse claims the crown, Van den Berg delivers, and officials face tech embarrassment
Arendse torched the All Blacks for 169 metres and a match-sealing try to stake his claim as the Boks' top winger, while Van den Berg ran the show at nine in a 43-28 win that clinched the series. The piece also dissects Vaa'i's game-killing indiscipline, Mo'unga's quiet return, and a baffling 15-minute comms failure that halted play.
Kolisi: External criticism of Bok style is outside our circle
Kolisi defends the Bok system ahead of the Baltimore decider, arguing the much-criticised style is a freedom-enabling platform rather than a limitation — and that external opinion simply doesn't factor into the camp's thinking.
Ruthless All Blacks punish wasteful Boks despite scrum hammering
The Boks obliterated the All Blacks at scrum time yet lost 33-16 — the piece breaks down why South Africa's failure to convert 22-metre dominance into points was the decisive factor, and what both teams must fix before Cape Town.