Victor Matfield makes a compelling case that the All Blacks' free-flowing form under Rennie, while genuinely impressive, has been built against opposition defences that simply aren't giving them the same confrontation the Boks will. His specific point is about rush defence — New Zealand's outside backs have been finding space because teams are sitting off them. South Africa won't. Matfield argues the All Blacks will need either a precision kicking game or the ability to go over the top, neither of which they've been seriously stress-tested on yet. John Kirwan, for his part, is bullish in a different direction — he thinks this All Blacks team hasn't even hit its ceiling yet, which makes the upcoming four-Test series genuinely open. Both men agree the series represents a real step up in competition, with Matfield placing South Africa, France, and New Zealand in a tier of their own above the rest of world rugby.
Matfield: All Blacks' new attack hasn't faced the test that's coming
Matfield warns that the All Blacks' revived attack hasn't yet faced aggressive rush defence — and South Africa will offer a completely different picture. Kirwan counters that New Zealand hasn't hit its ceiling yet. Both agree the four-Test series is a genuine step into the unknown for Rennie's side.
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.
Springboks lead World Rugby rankings by 3.61 points ahead of Nations Championship
South Africa top the World Rugby rankings on 93.94 points, 3.61 clear of New Zealand, as the Springboks head into the inaugural Nations Championship. World Rugby has also confirmed the removal of home weighting from the rankings system from 1 July 2026.
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.