With the Boks and All Blacks deadlocked on 15 Nations Championship points, Saturday's clash in Turin is effectively knockout rugby — lose, and the path to the Final closes. Rugby365 previews the match with both Willemse and Erasmus downplaying the bonus-point chase in favour of execution, while flagging Italy's home threat despite a disrupted squad. Quesada's selection raised eyebrows — Fischetti, Allan, and Zuliani all start on the bench — but his reasoning centres on managing workloads and fitness rather than any lack of ambition. The piece identifies Capuozzo on the wing, Garbisi at 10, and Cannone at 8 as Italy's key threats, while for the Boks, the Feinberg-Mngomezulu/Van den Berg axis and the largely untested Nortje-Moerat lock partnership are the combinations to watch. Rugby365 tips South Africa by 22.
Turin Test a must-win as Boks and All Blacks stay locked on points
With the Boks and All Blacks locked on log points, this Turin Test is knockout rugby in all but name. Rugby365 breaks down both XVs, the selection calls that need explaining, and the matchup questions that will shape the result.
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.
Mulder's '95 Warning: Don't Sleep on the All Blacks
1995 World Cup winner Japie Mulder warns against writing off the All Blacks ahead of the four-Test series, drawing on South Africa's own underdog story to argue the gap in rankings doesn't guarantee a comfortable series win.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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Mallett: Brown's All Blacks deal changes nothing about his Springbok commitment
Mallett makes a measured case that Brown's pre-announced All Blacks move is a non-issue for Springbok preparations — but the potential RWC 2027 quarter-final collision adds an awkward edge to that confidence.