With Morné van den Berg coming off the bench on Saturday, he's already deep in his preparation for the moment he faces Roigard — and the approach centres on denying the All Blacks scrumhalf the quick ball that makes him dangerous. The linked piece details how Van den Berg is plotting to disrupt Roigard's rhythm and what that tactical blueprint looks like in practice.
Krappie's game plan to neutralise Roigard
Van den Berg is bench-bound but ready — his preparation for Roigard is built around slowing the All Blacks' service and strangling the tempo Roigard thrives on.
Jake White: Henry's All Blacks return is a 'masterстroke' — and he's no ordinary selector
White calls Henry's return a masterstroke — not because of his selector credentials, but because of the psychological and cultural weight he brings to a rebuilding All Blacks camp. White also makes a pointed broader argument about the game's failure to learn from history, using his own 2007 World Cup experience as a case study.
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
Lions hit by injury crisis ahead of Leinster quarterfinal as Krappies goes under the knife
Morné van den Berg has undergone bicep surgery, ruling him out of the Lions' URC quarterfinal against Leinster in Dublin, adding to a growing injury list that also includes Francke Horn (hamstring), Henco van Wyk (ankle), Richard Kriel (HIA protocols) and Ruan Venter (knee), while Asenathi Ntlabakanye serves an 18-month doping ban.
Junior Boks take World Cup confidence from NZ dogfight
Foote and Norton reflect on what a grinding draw against New Zealand reveals about where the Junior Boks are — and what still needs fixing — ahead of their World Cup title defence in Georgia.
Hooker targeting All Blacks opener after shoulder surgery, July Tests ruled out
Ethan Hooker is targeting the opening All Blacks Test in The Greatest Rivalry series after shoulder surgery, with the 23-year-old ruled out of all July Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.