With the first Greatest Rivalry Test at Ellis Park approaching, this piece zooms in on Jerry Flannery — the man Erasmus specifically credited for the Boks' defensive performance against Argentina. The profile draws on Adam Jones's first-hand account of working alongside Flannery at Harlequins, painting a picture of near-obsessive attention to detail: the coach who spent his guest evenings studying lineout footage and doubled his workload mid-season without complaint. The Munster DNA Jones describes — technical rigour, emotional intensity, refusal to let anything slide — maps directly onto what Erasmus reportedly saw during their overlap at Thomond Park, enough to keep tabs on Flannery through his Quins stint and eventually bring him into the Bok setup. The piece frames the Ellis Park Test as Flannery's defining challenge: shutting down an All Blacks backline that has just put 74 points on Ireland and France across two matches. Whether his system holds up against that threat is the question the full read sets up.
The Flannery factor: Why Erasmus's defence coach could be the key to unlocking the All Blacks
A detailed profile of Bok defence coach Jerry Flannery, drawing on Adam Jones's Harlequins memories to explain why Erasmus rate him so highly — and why his system will be under its greatest test at Ellis Park.
- Jerry Flannery
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- Argentina
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- France
Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027
A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.
World Rugby scraps home weighting from rankings calculations ahead of Nations Championship
World Rugby removes home weighting from rankings calculations from July 1, responding to the growing number of international matches played at neutral or out-of-country venues. South Africa remain top of the men's rankings on 93.94 points.
Erasmus satisfied with alignment camps but warns proof must come on the field
Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are in a good place after more than 60 players attended two alignment camps, but insists the results must now translate onto the field as SA Rugby prepares to name a training squad within two weeks.
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.
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.