With the RGR series on the line in Cape Town, Cobus Reinach and Rassie Erasmus have both pointed fingers at themselves rather than the All Blacks after the Ellis Park defeat. Reinach identifies the breakdown as the key battleground — New Zealand slowed Bok ball effectively and forced errors at nine — while Erasmus goes further, admitting the coaching staff may have overcomplicated their preparation and timed substitutions poorly. The self-critique is notable: this wasn't a case of being outgunned physically, the Boks felt they were dominant for 60 minutes, but tactical decisions and inaccuracies cost them. Dave Rennie, meanwhile, is already anticipating a heavier forward battle and expects the Boks to double down on scrum and aerial dominance. With Pieter-Steph du Toit's 100th Test adding emotional weight to the occasion, the pressure on the Boks to reset and deliver in Cape Town is considerable — a second loss effectively ends their trophy hopes.
Reinach and Erasmus admit Boks need a new plan for Cape Town
Reinach and Erasmus both point to self-inflicted errors — at the breakdown and in the coaching box — as the root of the Ellis Park loss, with Erasmus openly admitting to over-analysis and poor substitution timing. Rennie is braced for a forward war in Cape Town.
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.