Gavin Rich draws a sharp parallel between South Africa's famous Lomu fixation and the current media frenzy around Henry Pollock ahead of Saturday's Test at Ellis Park. His argument: the Boks never let Lomu score, but Christian Cullen ran riot in the space that obsession created. The same dynamic could play out if the Pollock noise becomes more than background hype — and Rich is sceptical Erasmus would allow that. The more interesting edge of the piece is its argument that all the Pom-bashing and 'Pollock's boys' headlines are doing Borthwick's job for him, echoing Ian McIntosh's 1994 motivational trick of papering the changeroom walls with hostile press. Rich also pushes back on the Chasing the Sun version of Erasmus as a basic motivator, insisting the real coaching architecture was never going to be broadcast as IP — what we saw was the human layer, not the tactical engine. Underneath the match preview sits a broader point about England remaining the one opponent South African teams cannot afford to lose to, a psychological driver distinct from rivalry with the All Blacks.
Pollock hysteria is the Lomu trap all over again — and Borthwick knows it
Rich uses the Lomu precedent to warn that Pollock hysteria could backfire the same way — creating space elsewhere — while arguing that South Africa's Pom-bashing headlines are handing Borthwick exactly the motivation fuel he needs.
- Springboks
- Rassie Erasmus
- England
- New Zealand
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.
Erasmus welcomes clarity on Tony Brown's post-2027 departure: 'We've made the mistake in the past'
Tony Brown will join the All Blacks coaching staff in 2028 after his Springbok contract expires at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus welcoming the early clarity as SA Rugby looks to avoid the contractual uncertainty that complicated preparations for France 2023.
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.
Mulder's '95 Warning: Don't Sleep on the All Blacks
1995 World Cup winner Japie Mulder warns against writing off the All Blacks ahead of the four-Test series, drawing on South Africa's own underdog story to argue the gap in rankings doesn't guarantee a comfortable series win.