Mark Keohane makes a pointed case that Libbok is consistently undervalued in South African rugby discourse — held hostage to a handful of bad days while his considerable match-winning record goes underappreciated. The numbers back the argument: 24 wins from 29 Tests, victories over every major Test nation on their home soil, and a starting role in some of the Boks' most dominant performances of the Erasmus era. Keohane traces Libbok's season in Japan's second division as a deliberate investment in game management — an area where both Genia and Cooper have noted real growth — and argues that the Bok coaching staff, Erasmus and Brown in particular, already see what the broader public doesn't. With Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured and Pollard passed over, Libbok gets the No 10 jersey against England in the Nations Championship opener, and Keohane's view is that he walks in with nothing left to prove. The piece also flags the broader context: Ellis Park still carries the memory of last season's 38-point collapse against Australia, England remain dangerous despite three straight defeats to the Boks, and the coaching staff will be balancing Saturday's result against the bigger prize of the All Blacks series.
Libbok's record speaks for itself — it's time SA rugby stopped using 2023 as a whip
Keohane argues Libbok's South African critics hold a handful of bad days against a player whose Test record — 24 wins from 29 caps, victories in every major rugby nation — is quietly exceptional, and that a season in Japan sharpening his game management has made him a better No 10 than he's given credit for.
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.
Syndesmosis injury could keep Feinberg-Mngomezulu out for three months
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces a three-month absence after suffering a syndesmosis injury in the Stormers' URC quarter-final win over Cardiff, potentially ruling him out of the Nations Championship Tests and part of the All Blacks series.
Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027
A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.
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.