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Sopoaga backs Love to handle the Springbok test at 10
Sopoaga endorses Ruben Love as the All Blacks' settled 10 ahead of the Springbok series, arguing he's thriving under Rennie and will only grow the more he plays — a useful read on the threat New Zealand could pose at fly-half.
Henry's ghost is back: ex-All Black says Rennie has restored what Robertson lost
Howarth argues Rennie has restored the Graham Henry 'freedom to try' philosophy that went missing under Robertson — and that shift alone has transformed the All Blacks from a team playing scared to one worth fearing ahead of the Springbok series.
Seven Boks make ex-England duo's Nations Championship XV — All Blacks shut out
Youngs and Watson's Nations Championship Team of the Tournament is loaded with Springboks — seven in total — with Willemse, Kolbe, Kriel, Marx, Du Toit, Nortje, and Wiese all making the cut, and no All Black in sight.
Sopoaga: Rennie's greatest coaching weapon isn't tactics — it's connection
Sopoaga identifies Rennie's ability to build genuine human connection — not tactical innovation — as the All Blacks' most important development ahead of the Springbok showdowns, with the squad's Polynesian and Māori makeup making that quality particularly potent.
France the only side with the depth to dethrone the Boks, says Williams
Williams rates France as the only nation with the depth and forward power to seriously challenge the Boks in 2027, while issuing a damning assessment of Ireland's decline and Argentina's post-match conduct.
Holland returns from five-month injury absence ahead of Springbok series
Fabian Holland returned from a five-month shoulder injury, playing 40 minutes for Otago in a 78-14 NPC win over Mid Canterbury, boosting his prospects of making the All Blacks squad for next month's tour to South Africa.
Hansen's blueprint: Take away the aerial contest and watch the Boks unravel
Hansen argues Rennie's All Blacks should rethink aerial-contest mechanics to neutralise one of South Africa's most reliable pressure tools — with unpredictability across the broader game plan the key to making the Boks doubt themselves.
All Blacks bolter Tupou Ta'eiloa adds loose forward intrigue ahead of SA tour
Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa — the Moana Pasifika back-rower left club-less after the franchise folded — is reportedly set to be included in Rennie's 44-man SA touring squad, with his post-contact numbers and physical profile making him an ideal bench option as the All Blacks manage Savea's workload and navigate a loose forward depth chart that showed real cracks during the Nations Championship.
Rejuvenated All Blacks lay groundwork for Springbok tour under Rennie
Rennie's All Blacks went 3-from-3 in the Nations Championship with a more expansive, adventurous style — Jordan, Roigard and Barrett the standouts. Planet Rugby argues the groundwork is laid for a serious four-Test challenge to the Springboks, with hooker cover the only notable selection concern heading into the series.
Biggar breaks down how Rennie has overhauled the All Blacks' DNA
Biggar argues Rennie has fundamentally rebuilt the All Blacks' identity around possession and multi-playmaker width — drawing Henry/Hansen comparisons and flagging sharply improving execution rates that Springbok fans should be watching closely.
All Blacks look dangerous under Rennie — but the real test is coming to South Africa
Rennie's All Blacks went 3-from-3 in the Nations Championship with a more expansive style that's lifted the squad's mood and confidence. The real acid test is the upcoming four-Test series against the Springboks — and on this evidence, they'll be no pushovers.
Scotland are evolving — but 'close' keeps falling short of the statement win they need
Scotland's Nations Championship southern leg confirmed both their growth and their defining frustration — genuinely threatening the Springboks in Pretoria, yet again falling agonisingly short of the statement win that would cement their standing among the world's elite.
Kiss recalls Salakaia-Loto after 'robust conversation' with no guarantees given
Les Kiss has recalled Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to the Wallabies training squad following a 'robust conversation' among his new coaching staff, making clear no player is guaranteed selection ahead of Tests against Japan, Argentina, the Springboks and the All Blacks.
O'Connor rules out Sharks move as fatherhood keeps him in Australia
James O'Connor has ruled out joining the Sharks, saying his wife's pregnancy brought an end to any plans to move to Durban, with the 36-year-old intent on staying in Australia.
Wales find an identity under Tandy — but the Springboks exposed its ceiling
Wales are building a credible forward-driven identity under Tandy, but the Boks' 43-0 dismantling in Durban showed exactly where that identity hits its ceiling — the full Nations Championship review breaks down what worked, what didn't, and whether this Welsh rebuild is the real deal.
Hansen: Squad unity the 'critical' challenge for All Blacks in South Africa
Hansen argues that managing the two-bus dynamic — Test players vs. midweekers — is the make-or-break cultural challenge for the All Blacks' South Africa tour, and places the burden squarely on senior players and Enoka to keep the 44-man squad unified.
Mexted bullish on All Blacks under Rennie — and takes aim at Ireland's self-belief
Mexted backs Rennie's All Blacks after a 3-0 Nations Championship start and dismisses Ireland as overconfident — worth reading for the Bok-relevant context of where New Zealand are heading under new management.
Twelve players who defined the Nations Championship's opening rounds
Louw's rundown of the Nations Championship's 12 best performers so far doubles as a form guide heading into the November leg — essential reading for tracking where the Boks and their rivals stand at the halfway mark.
Schmidt departs with worst Wallabies losing record in 55 years but insists he leaves platform for growth
Joe Schmidt departs as Wallabies coach after Saturday's 57-10 win over Italy, ending his tenure with a 61.29 percent losing record — the worst for an Australian coach in 55 years — but insisting he leaves Les Kiss a more stable platform than the one he inherited after the 2023 World Cup.
England rebound but discipline remains a crisis
England's Nations Championship block shows genuine progress under Borthwick — better attack, better defence, quality individual performances — but a penalty count of 34 across three Tests, with six yellows, is now being called an epidemic and remains the unresolved threat to any sustained improvement.