Laurie Mains is encouraged by what Dave Rennie has done with the All Blacks stylistically, but his bigger concern is whether New Zealand's players will have anything left in the tank by the time the Greatest Rivalry series arrives. After a punishing Super Rugby season, the All Blacks face Nations Championship fixtures, a tour of South Africa that includes games against all four URC franchises, three Tests against the Springboks, and a fourth in Baltimore — a schedule Mains bluntly describes as "far too much tough rugby." His warning isn't purely physical either; he emphasises the mental ceiling on peak performance, arguing top players simply cannot sustain that level 20–30 times a season. On the rugby itself, Mains likes Vaa'i at blindside, wants Savea at openside, and sees the loose trio as still a work in progress under Rennie.
Laurie Mains backs Rennie's All Blacks — but warns player workload could cost them against the Boks
Mains backs Rennie's new-look All Blacks but warns the brutal 2026 schedule — Super Rugby, Nations Championship, URC warmup games, and four Tests against the Boks — risks leaving New Zealand's players mentally and physically spent before the series that matters most.
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.
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.
Springbok Recall! Relive Phepsi Buthelezi's 2025/26 Season
#SharksRugby #PhepsiButhelezi #Springboks
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.