Dave Rennie's post-series review of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry campaign is candid: the All Blacks did enough good things to feel encouraged, but not enough to win when it mattered. He's not blaming the Boks' style or looking for excuses — his read is straightforward. South Africa are a seasoned, settled group who know their DNA and make you earn everything, and to beat them you simply have to be at your best. The All Blacks weren't, consistently enough. Rennie also punctures the Ellis Park scoreline — the 33-16 opener was far closer than it looked, and both sides knew it, which made the subsequent losses more painful given the chances New Zealand left on the table. Notably, Rennie isn't tearing up his game plan in response; he's doubling down on the way his team wants to play and backing accuracy under pressure as the gap to close.
Rennie: Boks are beatable — but the All Blacks aren't there yet
Rennie's post-Rugby's Greatest Rivalry debrief is honest: the All Blacks weren't clinical enough when it counted, the Ellis Park blowout flattered them, and he knows the Boks' experience and clarity of identity are what make them so hard to beat. He's not changing the system — he's backing execution to improve.
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.