Dave Rennie was candid after the 50-19 win over the Bulls — the result flattered no one given where the Bulls are in their pre-season — and he made no attempt to oversell it. His focus was firmly on Saturday's Ellis Park test, acknowledging the Springboks will arrive at 'three, four, five-fold' the intensity his side faced mid-week. The piece notes the All Blacks carry real injury uncertainty into the test, with McKenzie, Roigard and Jordan all concerns, while Savea only landed in South Africa on Thursday. Against that, the Boks come in fit, largely injury-free, and having watched every minute of the All Blacks' tour from the sidelines. Rennie's team will name their side Thursday, and the selection calls — particularly given a handful of positions were tour-form dependent — make this worth tracking closely ahead of what shapes as a bruising opening test.
Rennie eyes Bok test after All Blacks' Bulls romp
Rennie openly acknowledged Saturday's Ellis Park test is a different planet from the Bulls warm-up, with the All Blacks carrying injury doubts over key backs while the Boks arrive fresh and ready. The piece sets the scene for what promises to be a brutal opening clash.
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.