Dave Rennie has set the tone ahead of Saturday's Ellis Park opener by framing the four-Test series against the Springboks as a stiffer challenge than any World Cup campaign — the logic being that sustained pressure against the world's best team, week after week, eclipses the mixed-quality gauntlet of a tournament. Rennie is clear-eyed about what South Africa will bring: set-piece dominance, penalty accumulation, and ruthless execution in the corners — exactly the formula that delivered the 2023 final. His formula for an upset is equally direct: All Black discipline and accuracy must hold, while forcing the Springboks below their own standards. With a 12-Test winning streak on the line for the Boks and both sides roughly a year out from the 2027 World Cup in Australia, this series carries genuine dress-rehearsal weight — including the prospect of a potential quarterfinal rematch.
Rennie rates four-Test Bok series tougher than a World Cup
Rennie rates the four-Test Bok series tougher than a World Cup, identifies set-piece discipline as the key battleground, and frames the series as a critical 2027 World Cup rehearsal for both sides.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
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.
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.