Dave Rennie is sounding all the right cautionary notes after the All Blacks' 33-16 dismantling of the Springboks at Ellis Park — the biggest winning margin against Erasmus's side since he took charge. Rennie expects the Boks to double down rather than overhaul: tightening their scrum, cleaning up uncharacteristic errors, and sharpening the aerial contest. He's not predicting panic changes from Erasmus — just a colder, more disciplined version of the same game plan. The piece also flags that the Boks dropped their world No 1 ranking in the defeat, adding another layer of pressure heading into DHL Newlands.
The subplot worth watching: Richie Mo'unga's return to All Black colours for the Lions midweek fixture, with Rennie hinting at a bench role for the second Test and openly welcoming the pressure Mo'unga puts on Ruben Love at 10. If Mo'unga impresses against the Lions, the Test selection conversation gets interesting fast.