Laurie Mains isn't buying the Baltimore scoreline as a true measure of the gap between these sides. Speaking on The Platform NZ podcast, the 1992–95 All Blacks coach argues New Zealand were competitive enough in Tests 2, 3, and 4 to have won any of them — and that the 43-28 final score flatters South Africa. His central diagnosis: the aerial battle was the series-defining deficiency. With Damian McKenzie unable to contest high balls against a Springbok side that exploited the up-and-under relentlessly, Mains believes the All Blacks gifted South Africa 30–40 metres a kick, and that positioning either Will Jordan or Jordie Barrett beneath those kicks was the obvious fix that never came. He's not in despair about the All Blacks' direction — he flags Ardie Savea's absence as a significant factor and expects this group to improve from the experience — but his reading of the series is that tactical negligence in one area, not a wide quality gap, decided the 3-1 outcome.
Mains: All Blacks could have won three of four — and the aerial game cost them the series
Laurie Mains argues the 43-28 Baltimore result was misleading, believes the All Blacks were close enough to have won three of the first four Tests, and pins the series loss on a single tactical failure: not deploying aerial competitors under South Africa's high-ball game.
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.