Elrigh Louw starts at seven against Argentina in Buenos Aires this Saturday — his first Springbok appearance after a nine-month knee rehabilitation that tested him mentally as much as physically. The piece leans heavily on Louw's own account of that period: the isolation, the psychological battle, and the family and medical support that pulled him through. On the rugby side, he acknowledges the lessons from the narrow 2024 defeat in Argentina and flags the maul as a deliberate attacking focus for the Boks following recent changes in how it's been refereed. For Springbok fans, this is primarily a character study of a player who's had to fight his way back to relevance — and who arrives in Buenos Aires with plenty to prove.
Louw back in green and gold after nine months in the dark
Louw opens up about the mental and physical toll of his nine-month knee rehab as he returns to the Bok starting XV at flank against Argentina, with the maul flagged as a key attacking weapon for the weekend.
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.
In Rassie We Trust — and the Squad Depth to Back It Up
Rich argues the Barbarians game confirmed Springbok depth rather than exposed weakness, defends Erasmus's Van der Mescht omission as data-driven rather than arbitrary, and makes the case that — after everything Rassie has delivered — his selection calls deserve trust rather than social-media-driven second-guessing.
Smith vows England will 'leave it all out there' against Springboks
Marcus Smith says England's 36-man squad, arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday, are targeting a historic win over the Springboks in the Nations Championship opener, having trained in oxygen masks to prepare for the Highveld.
Contepomi: Boks have cracked the balance — and that's what makes them dangerous
Contepomi argues the Boks' real danger lies in their evolving balance between forward dominance and expansive attack — and flags sustained possession as the best way to exploit their defence.
Janse van Rensburg at the top of England's centre pecking order — and what it means for the Boks
Borthwick's centre headache has a new frontrunner: Janse van Rensburg is rated the likely starter at 12 for England's Tests against Fiji and Argentina, though he's ineligible for the opener against the Springboks. The piece ranks all options at 12 and 13, with Freeman locked in outside and Slade unlucky to be on the fringes.