With the Greatest Rivalry series kicking off at Ellis Park, Andrew Mertens — appearing alongside Skalck Burger and Jean de Villiers — was frank about New Zealand's prospects: "I genuinely think this is a monumental hill to climb for us." He predicted a 28-24 Springbok win, arguing that while the All Blacks have attacking threats through the Ruben Loë–Cam Roigard–Jordie Barrett axis, sustaining ball-in-hand rugby against the Boks' rush defence is a different proposition entirely from what they've faced on tour. Mertens flagged the aerial contest and the kicking battle as critical, pointing to Wellington last year — where the All Blacks simply couldn't cope with the high-ball pressure — as the blueprint for how South Africa wins this series. The panel also dug into Rassie Erasmus's pre-series mind games around game speed, with Jean de Villiers arguing the Boks aren't deliberately slowing the game but are operating well within the laws, and that the removal of the pre-match referee meeting has pushed these conversations into press conferences instead.
Mertens singled out Damian de Allende — who earns his 100th cap this weekend — as the Springbok he'd most want removed from the equation, citing his go-forward, defensive nastiness and experience as the quiet foundation of the Bok midfield. The full episode is worth the listen for the breakdown of how each team's game model collides, and what the set piece and maul battle could mean for the series outcome.