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Dixon warns Wales duel will be no easier than Scotland grind
Ben-Jason Dixon, capped for the ninth time off the bench in the 42-28 Nations Championship win over Scotland, has flagged Wales as a formidable closing challenge for the first leg in Durban next Saturday, citing their defensive resilience and kicking game while reflecting on the Springboks' 10th straight Test win.
Junior Boks target fast start against England in Tbilisi semi-final
The Junior Springboks face England in a World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final in Tbilisi on Monday at 18h30 SA time, with captain Siphosethu Mnebelele stressing the need for a fast start after hard lessons from the pool stage. A win would put them one victory away from equalling New Zealand's record of 11 consecutive Junior World Championship wins.
All Blacks trialling Vaa'i at blindside — and the Boks are the reason
Jeff Wilson reads Rennie's Vaa'i-at-flanker experiment as a Bok-specific tactic — more size, potentially a 6-2 bench split. Marshall pushes back, arguing Vaa'i belongs at lock and that the real problem is Savea's absence from the base of the scrum.
Junior Springboks ready for England semi-final — Mnebelele and Giliomee
Captain Mnebelele and Giliomee say full squad buy-in to the gameplan has the Junior Springboks ready for their World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final against England.
Townsend concedes bench call cost Scotland as Springboks extend winning run to ten
Scotland pushed the Springboks to half-time parity before falling 42-28 in Pretoria, with Gregor Townsend conceding he used his bench too late as South Africa extended their winning run to ten Tests and completed a clean sweep of northern and southern hemisphere nations over the past calendar year.
De Villiers and Horn have done enough to earn Bomb Squad spots against the All Blacks
Cardinelli argues the Scotland win, messy as it was, delivered two clear answers for Erasmus: De Villiers is ready to fill the Kwagga void in the Bomb Squad, and Horn's versatility opens up a six-two split option for the All Blacks series.
Erasmus got the answers he wanted from the Scotland experiment — and won
Erasmus used Scotland as a deliberate pressure test for 12 low-capped players, explaining why tier-one opposition gives him answers that Georgia can't. He also got a specific result on Pollard at inside centre — four weeks of training validated in a live Test, man of the match included.
Kriel, Nortjé and du Toit make the cut — but Russell steals the show in Planet Rugby's round 2 Team of the Week
Planet Rugby's round 2 Team of the Week includes Kriel, Nortjé and Porthen for South Africa, with du Toit, Pollard and Willemse among the runners-up — but Finn Russell takes Player of the Week honours despite Scotland's defeat at Loftus, in what the piece rates as the finest performance of his career.
Townsend tips his hat — but Scotland's missed chances cost them at Loftus
Townsend openly backed the Boks' No.1 ranking after Loftus, crediting their ability to win ugly — but the real story is Scotland's frustration at squandering a man-advantage and multiple try-scoring opportunities that could have flipped the result.
Junior World Championship Semis: Junior Boks Face Unbeaten England, Rugby365 Tips SA by Eight
Full team sheets and match predictions for all Junior World Championship knockout fixtures, including the Junior Boks vs England semifinal — Rugby365 tips South Africa to win by eight against an unbeaten English side.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu set for Springbok comeback against Wales at Kings Park
Rassie Erasmus confirms Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is set to return to the Springbok lineup for next Saturday's Test against Wales at Kings Park.
Ellis Park announcer rebuked over Pollock heckling
SA Rugby has reportedly rebuked Ellis Park stadium announcer Robbie Kruse after he heckled England's Henry Pollock during the Nations Championship Test.
Erasmus hails Scotland test as crucial proving ground for inexperienced Springboks
Rassie Erasmus described South Africa's 42-28 Nations Championship victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld as the examination his inexperienced squad needed. With 12 players holding 10 caps or fewer, the Springbok coach deliberately risked cohesion to gauge which fringe contenders could handle tier-one intensity. Scotland's quality exposed defensive fragility at times, but Erasmus insisted only such pressure would reveal who merits selection going forward.
Loftus win was Erasmus at his bravest — and that's precisely why it matters
Rich argues the Scotland win at Loftus was one of Erasmus's finest coaching performances precisely because he refused to abandon his experimental blueprint even when circumstances forced mid-game chaos — the disruption was the point, and the data gathered on combinations and individuals now sharpens Bok preparation for the All Blacks and beyond.
Erasmus satisfied with Scotland examination despite defensive lapses in 42-28 win
Rassie Erasmus says the 42-28 Nations Championship win over Scotland at Loftus revealed which fringe players are ready and which need more work, defending his decision to field a side with 12 players on 10 caps or fewer against a top-tier opponent.
Drug watchdog defends SA rugby after latest positive test
SAIDS CEO Khalid Galan pushes back against suggestions that the latest positive doping test in SA rugby points to a wider systemic issue.
Louw's impact seals Springbok victory as Willemse experiment falters against Scotland
The Springboks secured a 42-28 victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld in a pulsating Nations Championship encounter that tested Rassie Erasmus's heavily rotated side. Elrigh Louw's crucial try broke a 21-21 deadlock, whilst Damian Willemse's shift from inside centre to fullback sparked a second-half revival. The win extended South Africa's winning streak to 10 matches but exposed defensive frailties in an experimental line-up featuring 12 players with 10 caps or fewer.
Erasmus: Scotland match exposed who needs work and who made the grade
Rassie Erasmus says the 42-28 Nations Championship win over Scotland at Loftus served its primary purpose — identifying which fringe players are ready and which need significant work — while acknowledging the performance was disjointed and the crowd was not entirely satisfied.
Tshituka's rugby career was born from a school with no soccer team — now he's chasing a World Cup spot
Sharks flanker Vincent Tshituka, who earned his second Springbok cap against Scotland in the Nations Championship, traces a rugby journey that began only because his Johannesburg high school had no soccer team — and was nearly abandoned for an IT degree before a coach's timely intervention set him on course for a World Cup ambition.
Six entries, six tries: Why the Boks' Scotland win should silence the doubters
Six entries into Scotland's 22, six tries — the piece argues that conversion rate, not just the scoreline, is the real measure of a Bok performance that's being underrated. It analyses Erasmus's squad-rotation strategy, identifies the standout individual performers across the fortnight, and flags the structural tension of players operating in both hemispheres all year as the Rivalry Tour looms.