With the Rugby Championship on the horizon, Clinton van der Berg examines what happens when Erasmus's Springbok system meets Dave Rennie's All Blacks in what he frames as more than a fixture — it's a collision of rugby worldviews. The piece appears to interrogate New Zealand's assumption that coaching continuity equates to sustained dominance, and sets that against the more disruptive, system-driven approach Erasmus has built. Worth reading for anyone wanting a deeper frame on the Bok-All Black rivalry beyond the scoreboard.
Rassie vs Rennie: A clash of coaching philosophies
Van der Berg pits Erasmus's disruptive system-building against Rennie's inherited All Blacks structure, arguing the Bok-All Black rivalry is as much a coaching philosophy clash as a on-field contest.
- Rugby Championship
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- New Zealand
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.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
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.