Scotty Stevenson isn't buying the widespread admiration for Rassie's pre-Test psychological warfare ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park. While conceding it's shrewd coaching business, Stevenson's core argument is that wheeling Jaco Peyper into a press conference to push back on officiating narratives crosses from clever into coercive — 'next level mafia don stuff' that effectively weaponises a fanbase already primed to go after referees. He invokes Bryce Lawrence as evidence that the South African fanbase has form here, while acknowledging New Zealand's Wayne Barnes episode as their own version of the same sin. His sharpest point is structural: by making referee Matthew Carley the centrepiece of the week's narrative, both camps have set the official up to fail no matter what calls he makes. The piece also touches on the style-of-play debate, with Stevenson pushing back on the lazy 'Boks slow the game down' framing while acknowledging the collision-rugby DNA is real.
Kool-Aid and Mafia Dons: NZ pundit fires back at Rassie's pre-Test mind games
NZ pundit Scotty Stevenson argues Rassie's pre-Test referee pressure campaign — including deploying Peyper at the presser — has unfairly put Matthew Carley at the centre of the week's narrative and amounts to fanbase weaponisation, whatever its tactical brilliance.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Rugby Championship
- New Zealand
Erasmus welcomes clarity on Tony Brown's post-2027 departure: 'We've made the mistake in the past'
Tony Brown will join the All Blacks coaching staff in 2028 after his Springbok contract expires at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus welcoming the early clarity as SA Rugby looks to avoid the contractual uncertainty that complicated preparations for France 2023.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
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.
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.