Nick Mallett's read on Rassie's selection logic for the opening Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks is straightforward: reward the players who stayed behind while the touring group headed to Argentina. Whether that calculation holds — and what it means for the broader squad pecking order — is what the full piece explores.
Mallett expects Erasmus to back the home-based group for first All Blacks Test
Mallett tips Erasmus to pick from the group that stayed home during the Argentina leg, framing it as the logical call for the first All Blacks Test.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Rugby Championship
- New Zealand
- Argentina
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.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Alexander's blunt warning: align the calendar or lose the game
Mark Alexander is warning that the Dublin World Rugby meetings must deliver calendar alignment — concurrent Rugby Championship and Six Nations windows, dedicated club and rest periods — or the sport risks losing players to rebel competitions. New Zealand's resistance to shifting Super Rugby Pacific is the key sticking point.
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.