Planet Rugby's post-Nations Championship power rankings land the Springboks firmly at number one, and the case is hard to argue with. Three wins from three, 43 players used including six debutants, 40+ points scored in every outing, and a miserly 16-point average conceded — all while carrying a significant injury list. The piece's central argument is that Tony-ball has layered a genuinely expansive, high-tempo attack onto the Boks' established forward dominance, making them dangerous in ways opponents can't simply game-plan against. The broader rankings make for interesting reading too: New Zealand are clocked as a convincing number two under Rennie's ball-in-hand reset, France's depth is flagged as a serious warning to the rest of the Test world despite rotating heavily, and Argentina are rated a disappointing eighth after failing to build on November's promise.
Springboks top every chart — and it's not even close
Planet Rugby's Nations Championship power rankings place the Boks first across every metric — attack, defence, depth — and argue Tony-ball has made them more dangerous than ever. The wider rankings also flag France's depth and New Zealand's attacking reset as the next biggest concerns for the global order.
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.
Contepomi: Boks have cracked the balance — and that's what makes them dangerous
Contepomi argues the Boks' real danger lies in their evolving balance between forward dominance and expansive attack — and flags sustained possession as the best way to exploit their defence.
Smith vows England will 'leave it all out there' against Springboks
Marcus Smith says England's 36-man squad, arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday, are targeting a historic win over the Springboks in the Nations Championship opener, having trained in oxygen masks to prepare for the Highveld.
South Africa isn't the raider — the real migration story is Wales draining out and France hoovering up the Pacific
The squad data across the Prem, Top 14, and URC shows South Africa and New Zealand are not the great raiders — the real story is Wales bleeding players to England and France systematically drawing from Pacific and Georgian rugby while those unions see no financial return.
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.