Mzwandile Stick is urging the Boks not to be lulled into complacency by Wales's 18-match losing streak ahead of their Nations Championship clash. His warning carries historical weight — Wales ran a four-match winning streak over South Africa between 2018 and 2019, and claimed their only win on SA soil as recently as 2022 in Bloemfontein. Stick draws an explicit parallel between Wales's current rebuilding phase and the Boks' own transition years around 2016–2018, arguing that a single big scalp can completely reset a team's belief and trajectory. Notably, he frames the Bok preparation for this match as identical to what they'd put in against Ireland or New Zealand — and backs that up with the detail that the coaching staff have been socialising with Welsh management, exchanging ideas, and treating them as peers rather than pushovers.
Stick sees Wales as a side one result away from turning the corner
Stick warns the Boks against underestimating a Wales side he sees as one result away from a revival, drawing a direct parallel with South Africa's own 2016–2018 rebuilding years — and confirming the preparation has been identical to what they'd do for Ireland or the All Blacks.
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.
Erasmus: 'We don't see the Nations Championship as a competition'
Erasmus says the Boks won't adjust their approach to chase Nations Championship log points — each Test is treated as a standalone match, with squad rotation across the window as the priority over competition standings.
Graham Henry's praise puts Rassie's depth chart in sharp perspective
Graham Henry's public defence of Rassie's rotation policy gives this depth-chart breakdown an unusual angle — with position-by-position analysis showing just how far Springbok depth now extends beyond the current 46-man squad.
World Rugby scraps home weighting in first rankings overhaul since 2003
World Rugby will eliminate home weighting from its rankings points calculation from July 1, 2026 — the first major change to the system since its 2003 introduction — citing the surge in Tests played at neutral venues, including the Springboks vs All Blacks Baltimore clash.
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.