Planet Rugby's post-match breakdown of the 33-16 All Blacks win identifies Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett as the standout performers — Jordan adding to his try-scoring record while Barrett was exceptional in defence with five turnovers. Dave Rennie gets credit for picking Fabian Holland and George Bower, both of whom vindicated their selection. On the Bok side, Wilco Louw and Jasper Wiese are singled out as bright spots in an otherwise poor team performance, but the Bomb Squad is firmly in the losers column — Porthen's introduction destabilised the scrum, the yellow cards for Van Staden and Reinach hurt the side, and Esterhuizen's impact was blunted by positional chaos after Arendse's injury. SFM struggled under scoreboard pressure, Grant Williams was ponderous at the base, and Erasmus's limited game plan — scrum penalties, kick-contest, maul — left the Boks without the attacking balance to punish New Zealand when chances arose. The All Blacks scrum also makes the losers list, flagged as a lingering structural concern since the 2023 World Cup final.
Winners and losers from Ellis Park: Jordan and Barrett shine, Bomb Squad misfires
Jordan and Barrett were world-class at Ellis Park while the Bomb Squad flopped and Erasmus's narrow game plan left the Boks short — Planet Rugby's full winners-and-losers breakdown makes for uncomfortable reading ahead of the second Test.
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
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.