Gavin Rich's second Test preview centres on two interlocking concerns: the late referee switch from Amashukeli to Gardner, and whether the Boks can mentally reset after a defeat that flattered the All Blacks scoreline-wise but was still a loss. Rich flags Gardner as more susceptible to external pressure than Amashukeli, and notes that Rennie has been actively lobbying World Rugby over the Bok scrum — a dominant weapon at Ellis Park that the All Black camp is now framing as illegal. Rich is sceptical of those complaints given Matt Carley awarded six scrum penalties to the Boks last week, but the concern is whether those lobbying efforts have filtered through to Gardner by matchday.
On the Bok side, Rich argues the Ellis Park performance was closer than 33-16 suggests — positional chaos caused by early injuries distorted the defence, and Erasmus has publicly taken responsibility for bench planning. The big question mark is Pollard's hamstring, which could see Feinberg-Mngomezulu start at 10 with Libbok back on the bench. Rich's broader argument is that if Gardner refs what he sees rather than what World Rugby wants to see, and the Boks carry their pre-tour confidence into DHL Stadium, their physical superiority gives them a genuine edge — they just need the clinical edge that deserted them a week ago. He tips a six-point Bok win.