The Lions came agonisingly close to making history on Tuesday night, leading 35-17 midway through the second half before tired legs allowed the All Blacks to grind out a 41-35 win and complete an unbeaten provincial tour. The piece argues it was the performance South African rugby needed — the first franchise side on the tour to genuinely test the All Blacks, and a sharp contrast to the tepid efforts from other provinces. Brenden Nel singles out Siba Mahashe and Chris Smith as standouts, while noting the Lions will rue some soft turnovers that Rieko Ioane, in particular, punished brutally. Crucially, Nel frames the performance as a psychological boost for the Springboks heading into the Test series — a reminder that the All Blacks can be pressured when a South African side brings the right intensity.
Lions push All Blacks to the limit in Ellis Park thriller
The Lions led 35-17 before fading late in a 41-35 loss to the All Blacks — the piece argues it's the most important provincial performance of the tour and a timely confidence injection for the Springboks.
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.