All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan is under no illusions about what awaits his pack in South Africa. Speaking ahead of Friday's tour opener against the Stormers, Ryan acknowledged the Springboks' scrum and maul as their defining identity — and said the only viable approach is to meet it directly rather than try to avoid it. The franchise games aren't just warm-ups; Ryan wants his forwards to use them as live preparation for the test series, with several players new to the All Blacks environment needing to be set up for success early. He was candid about the lessons from previous test series against the Boks, noting that playing in South Africa presents a fundamentally different contest from what the squad experienced in the three home tests. The piece frames the upcoming series as a genuine setpiece battle, with Ryan's ability to get his pack competitive at scrum time likely the key variable in whether the All Blacks can challenge the world champions.
Ryan: All Blacks have no choice but to take SA's setpiece head on
Jason Ryan acknowledges the Springboks' scrum and maul dominance and says the All Blacks' only option is to confront it directly — the franchise games against the Stormers and others are deliberate preparation for that test.
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.