Dave Rennie's post-match breakdown of the 33-16 win at Ellis Park centres on two decisive passages: the defensive scramble in the final 10 minutes of the first half that kept New Zealand within striking distance, and a crucial scrum penalty in the 55th minute that ended a sustained Bok siege. The Boks had chosen to scrum repeatedly from five metres out rather than take the points — a gamble that backfired when George Bower won the penalty. Combined with Fabian Holland's charge-down try and 23 Springbok turnovers, those moments allowed New Zealand to pull away decisively in a game Rennie insists was far closer than the scoreline suggests. The yellow cards to Reinach and Van Staden didn't help the Bok cause in the closing stages. Rennie is under no illusions that the series is done — he knows a one-nil lead means little against this Springbok side with three Tests still to play.
Rennie singles out the scrum that broke the Boks' back
Rennie credits a 55th-minute scrum penalty as the turning point in New Zealand's Ellis Park win, with Bok handling errors and two yellow cards compounding a second half that slipped away from the hosts despite their dominant position at the break.
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.