Leroy Carter has played down his now-viral touchline confrontation with Cheslin Kolbe in Cape Town, describing his surprise at Kolbe's reaction with more amusement than animosity. Speaking on the All Blacks' Inside the Black Jersey podcast, Carter laughed off the incident — joking that it was the first time he'd had a reach advantage over anyone — while co-host Brad Weber offered mock-serious praise for his 'technique.' The pair could meet again on Saturday in Soweto, with Kolbe shifting to fullback to cover for the injured Willemse. The piece is mostly light entertainment, but for those following the needle between these two squads heading into the deciding third Test, Carter's relaxed tone — and the All Blacks camp's willingness to joke about it publicly — says something about how New Zealand are approaching the pressure of the series.
Leroy Carter shrugs off Kolbe scuffle: 'I didn't realise he was going to get so angry'
Carter laughs off the Kolbe flare-up on an All Blacks podcast, calling it a surprise rather than a grudge — but with both men likely to feature in the Soweto decider, the rivalry has another subplot to watch.
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.