Gavin Rich's post-match column argues that Bok fans shouldn't read too much into the Ellis Park defeat — and that Rassie was deliberately managing expectations before it happened. The All Blacks' defensive resilience was extraordinary and, Rich contends, unsustainable over a three-test series. He still can't see the Boks losing the Rugby Greatest Rivalry series overall, though Cape Town will be a sterner test than some expect.
The column's sharpest analysis centres on the scrum battle and the off-field referee war. Rich believes Dave Rennie successfully lobbied officials in the lead-up to the first test — pointing to cynical All Black ruck play that went unpunished and a crucial scrum penalty that turned the game. He draws a direct parallel with Rassie's own 2019 World Cup and 2021 Lions campaign tactics, arguing South Africa lost that off-field skirmish partly because the local media don't coordinate pressure the way New Zealand's do. There's also a pointed observation about the Boks' own tactical error: repeatedly resetting scrums rather than capitalising on their dominance immediately, possibly giving the All Blacks' players and their management time to work on referee Carley's thinking. Rich's broader read is that the Boks were smarter, but the All Blacks were smarter — and that gap needs closing before Saturday.