Stephen Donald argues that Robertson's tenure went wrong precisely because the All Blacks tried to mimic what the Springboks do rather than leaning into New Zealand's natural game. Aligning with Hansen's recent comments cautioning against wholesale imitation of the Bok model, Donald believes Rennie's mandate is clear: rebuild around pace and tempo, drawing on the Hurricanes and Chiefs style while blending in Crusaders-style forward nous. On the August series in South Africa, Donald is relaxed about the Boks' relatively modest URC and Champions Cup campaigns this season — his read is that Erasmus's system produces a collective that consistently punches above the sum of its parts when 23 are assembled under Test conditions.
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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.
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- New Zealand
- Springboks
- United Rugby Championship
- Rassie Erasmus
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