Back in the All Blacks jersey for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final, Mo'unga was candid in the Baltimore aftermath: the Springboks have evolved. He acknowledged they're no longer just a brutal forward unit — they carry genuine backline threat now too, with fast feet to complement the set-piece and breakdown dominance. His verdict was straightforward: South Africa are better than they were in Paris. The 43-28 defeat in the Greatest Rivalry series finale — a 3-1 series loss for the All Blacks — reinforced the gap that still exists in terms of accuracy under pressure, with Mo'unga pointing to New Zealand's failure to convert key moments and build defensive suffocation as the telling difference. His reflection on three years in Japan was equally direct: nothing in club rugby replicates the pressure and meaning of Test football, and he's clearly motivated to make the return count.
Mo'unga: Boks are a 'complete team' — and three years away reminded him nothing compares to Test rugby
Mo'unga's first Test since the 2023 World Cup final ended in a 43-28 defeat, and he was frank about it — the Boks are a more complete team than they were in Paris, and the All Blacks still have ground to make up in accuracy and defensive pressure.
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.