Nick Mallett was candid about the Boks' Buenos Aires performance — calling it 'understandably average' given the number of players returning from injury — but identified scrum dominance and defensive organisation as genuine positives to take from the 17-10 win. His sharper concern is the contestable kicking game, which he regards as a near-set-piece weapon for South Africa but was badly off against Argentina: the exits were too long, the up-and-unders poorly weighted, and the half-backs collectively below par. With the All Blacks having visibly struggled against that exact weapon when the Stormers used it effectively, Mallett sees the kicking game as a critical area that must be reset before August 22. The bluntness of the attack — no offloads, no momentum through the middle — is flagged alongside lineout execution as further work-ons, though he credits Argentina for making the Boks earn every point.
Mallett: Scrum and defence the silver linings as Boks' kicking game worries ahead of All Blacks series
Mallett pinpoints scrum dominance and defensive solidity as the two genuine positives from a below-par Buenos Aires win, but warns that the contestable kicking game — so effective against the All Blacks when the Stormers deployed it — was well off the required standard and must improve sharply before the Greatest Rivalry series kicks off.
Gelant not treating Barbarians clash as Bok audition
Warrick Gelant, the only Springbok in the Barbarians squad for the June 20 clash against South Africa in Gqeberha, says he will not treat the match as a Bok trial, insisting the experience with the invitational side stands on its own merits.
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.