The columnist's core argument is simple: the attendance numbers — Ellis Park, Cape Town Stadium, FNB Stadium and Baltimore all sold out — prove the rivalry's pulling power is as strong as ever. Anyone claiming Kiwi aura has faded in South Africa is, in his words, talking nonsense. But the piece isn't just a celebration. It's a pointed critique of how the tour was structured and priced. The provincial warm-up matches, played against URC sides in pre-season without their 40-plus Springboks, were always going to be mismatches — and the public knew it. Crowds of 14,000 in Durban and 30,000 at Loftus reflected that reality. The columnist's sharper complaint is that those matches should have been the affordable, community-facing rugby events they once were in the amateur era. Instead, aggressive ticket pricing put them out of reach for fans who can't afford Test-match hospitality — the very audience who would have packed those grounds to watch an All Blacks tour game in any other era. The fourth Test in Baltimore, framed as a money-driven addition, should have been the exhibition match; the genuine Test series should have been settled on South African soil. The only subplot worth watching from the tour games was Deon Fourie's 62-minute masterclass against the Stormers earning him a Bok call-up after Kolisi's injury — everything else was pre-season.
The All Blacks still sell out South Africa — but the tour structure got it wrong
Sold-out venues from Cape Town to Baltimore prove the rivalry's magnetism is undiminished, but the columnist argues the tour structure squandered an opportunity — overpriced warm-up games excluded the fans who'd have filled those grounds, the fourth Test in the US is a money-grab, and the real series should have been settled entirely in South Africa.
- Cape Town Stadium
- FNB Stadium
- New Zealand
- Springboks
- United Rugby Championship
- Loftus Versfeld
- DHL Stormers
- Siya Kolisi
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.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ankle injury puts Rugby Nations Championship opener in doubt
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will miss at least the first three rounds of the Rugby Nations Championship after injuring his ankle in the Stormers' URC quarterfinal win over Cardiff, adding to a growing list of Springbok halfback concerns that already includes Cobus Reinach's knee injury.
Rennie's word for his All Blacks reset: 'Brutality'
Martin Devlin reports that Dave Rennie has told New Zealand media his All Blacks reset centres on 'brutality' over flair — and that Rennie privately selected Richie Mwanga for the tour opener despite NZR eligibility rules blocking him, a conflict Devlin says NZ rugby has yet to resolve.
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.