Gerard Meagher reflects on the Greatest Rivalry series as a whole, concluding that the Springboks leave it as clear World Cup favourites. The All Blacks were valiant across four Tests of genuine intensity, but the Boks' dominance was emphatic. Meagher's enduring image is telling: Malcolm Marx bulldozing over from 20 metres in the 65th minute of the Soweto Test — a moment that captured the Boks' physicality at its most suffocating. Marx earned player of the series, and the piece argues the series served as a brutal reminder of the gap between these two sides and the rest of the world. Worth reading for Meagher's broader reflections on what the series revealed about South Africa's readiness heading into the World Cup.
AnalysisSpringboksThe Guardian Rugby
Springboks wrap up Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 — and send a World Cup warning
Meagher reflects on the Greatest Rivalry series — won 3-1 by the Boks — as a World Cup statement, with Malcolm Marx's Soweto try the defining image of South Africa's dominance.
Related stories
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
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.