Victor Matfield went full wind-up merchant on the Rivals podcast after Baltimore, straight-facedly accusing the All Blacks of being the ones who slowed the game down — the exact narrative Dave Rennie had tried to pin on the Boks before the series. Sir John Kirwan took the bait completely, firing back with genuine fury while Matfield kept a deadpan expression and doubled down, citing All Blacks players going to ground, a referee's earpiece being pulled out, and slow TMO turnarounds. The host eventually pointed out that Pieter-Steph du Toit's theatrical injury crawl was hardly blameless either — something Matfield deflected with a straight face before all but admitting he was trolling. It's light post-series content, but it's a reminder that Matfield is as good at psychological games off the field as he was on it — and that the 3-1 series result is still clearly stinging across the Tasman.
Matfield winds up Kirwan with deadpan claim that All Blacks slowed Baltimore test
Matfield deadpans that the All Blacks slowed the Baltimore test down, Kirwan loses his composure, and the whole exchange is a masterclass in post-series needle.
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.