Morne van den Berg's reflection on the Greatest Rivalry series win offers a window into how the Boks reset after going 0-1 down at Ellis Park. The key message from the Lions scrumhalf: the coaching staff didn't blink or overreact — the squad simply returned to their DNA and refused to be pulled into playing New Zealand's way. Van den Berg points to two turning points in Baltimore that swung the decider: the Roigard offside call that disrupted All Blacks momentum, and Bok set-piece dominance that kept them on the front foot in the critical phases. His reading of the All Blacks — that their ball-movement is genuinely elite — makes the series result more meaningful, not less. He also speaks candidly about the squad culture: a next-man-in environment where the expectation isn't to fill a jersey, but to serve the team. For a player who went from watching the opener to starting and scoring in the decider, it's a compelling account of what's been built in that camp.
Krappie on clinching the series: 'We forced our game onto them'
Van den Berg explains how the Boks overcame going 0-1 down by sticking to their DNA, identifying set-piece dominance and a crucial Roigard offside call as the series turning points — and offers a candid take on the All Blacks' genuine threat and the squad culture driving Bok depth.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Hansen's Right to Back Himself — But the Boks' Five-Match Streak Tells a Different Story
Jean de Villiers acknowledges Hansen's logic but argues last year's results and performances make it hard to see the All Blacks closing the gap on the Boks — and the panel get genuinely animated over what a 2-2 series tiebreaker would even look like.
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
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.