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Du Toit: One box at a time — how the Boks reset after Ellis Park
Du Toit explains how the Boks compartmentalise defeats — drawing on the Lions series, 2023 World Cup, and last year's Rugby Championship as proof the culture holds — and warns that fixing Saturday in Cape Town requires every facet firing, not just scrum dominance.
Rennie vows All Blacks scrum improvement after World Rugby consultation
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has promised a stronger scrum performance in Saturday's second Test at DHL Stadium, revealing his side have raised concerns with World Rugby following their 33-16 victory at Ellis Park. The New Zealand mentor acknowledged several areas requiring improvement despite the comprehensive win.
Skinstad: A bump in the road, not the end of the road
Skinstad pulls no punches on Ellis Park — bad game-plan, poor decisions, possible arrogance — but insists the World Cup hat-trick remains firmly on, pointing to squad depth and South Africa's proven ability to absorb setbacks and rebuild.
Rennie takes aim at Bok scrum tactics ahead of weekend clash
Rennie has raised South Africa's scrum 'walkabout' tactics with World Rugby while backing the All Blacks to scrum better on Saturday — the piece digs into the complaint and its implications.
Rennie flags scrum fix and discipline reset ahead of Cape Town Test
Rennie has flagged scrum improvements and discipline as his two main targets for the Cape Town Test, while acknowledging the Boks won several key statistical battles at Ellis Park despite the scoreline — and warning his squad to expect a fierce Bok response.
Pumas seek back-to-back WSL 2 title as Griquas stand in the way in Nelspruit final
The Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women face AVBOB Griquas in the Pick n Pay WSL 2 final in Nelspruit on Friday, with the Pumas seeking back-to-back titles after winning all seven of their league matches and Griquas having recovered from an opening-round loss to the same opponents to win six straight.
All Blacks winners and losers: Who gains and loses from Rennie's Cape Town reshuffling
Planet Rugby's winners-and-losers breakdown of the All Blacks' Cape Town selection covers Bower's front-row promotion, Sititi's worrying slide, Barrett's mounting Test exile, and why Mo'unga still needs to bide his time — with New Zealand's prop depth under real pressure heading into DHL Stadium.
Reinach and Erasmus admit Boks need a new plan for Cape Town
Reinach and Erasmus both point to self-inflicted errors — at the breakdown and in the coaching box — as the root of the Ellis Park loss, with Erasmus openly admitting to over-analysis and poor substitution timing. Rennie is braced for a forward war in Cape Town.
All Blacks braced for Springbok backlash
Rennie has beefed up the All Blacks pack specifically to counter an expected Springbok backlash — the piece looks at how New Zealand are adjusting their forward strategy for the second Test.
Amashukeli illness forces referee reshuffle for Tests Two and Three
Nika Amashukeli's illness has seen Angus Gardner promoted to referee for Test Two in Cape Town, with the Georgian official rescheduled to take charge of Test Three in Johannesburg on 5 September.
Skinstad: 'A bump in the road, not a derailment' — but the Boks need to be smarter
Skinstad delivers a balanced but unsparing take on the Ellis Park loss — wrong game plan, questionable decisions, possible complacency — while arguing the age concerns are overstated and the World Cup target remains realistic. He also speaks candidly about the death of young Béziers prop Luqobo Makwedini, which has given him a broader perspective on sporting setbacks.
Reinach: All Blacks targeted our breakdowns, not our 9s
Cobus Reinach says New Zealand's game plan targeted the Springboks' breakdown rather than their scrumhalves specifically, and that the resulting pressure directly caused his yellow card in the first Test defeat at Ellis Park.
Gardner steps in as Cape Town Test referee after Amashukeli ruled out ill
Angus Gardner replaces the ill Nika Amashukeli as referee for the Springboks vs All Blacks second Test in Cape Town, with Amashukeli still scheduled to take charge of the third Test in Johannesburg on 5 September.
All Blacks make five changes for Cape Town Test against Springboks
New Zealand have named five changes for Saturday's second Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks in Cape Town, with George Bower replacing the HIA-affected Ethan de Groot and Leroy Carter moving into the starting backline.
Red-zone profligacy exposes Springboks' blunt edge against All Blacks
The Springboks' 16-33 defeat to New Zealand at Ellis Park laid bare a worrying inability to convert territorial dominance into points. South Africa entered the opposition 22 ten times but managed just 0.7 points per visit—the first time they have fallen below the one-point threshold in over two years. Former Bok flyhalf Joel Stransky described the loss as a "massive blow" but believes it may prove the wake-up call Rassie Erasmus' side needed ahead of Saturday's second Test in Cape Town.
How George Bower's scrum cameo swung the first Greatest Rivalry Test
Sopoaga credits George Bower's cold-entry scrum stability — not the backline brilliance — as the quietly decisive moment that shifted the first Greatest Rivalry Test away from the Springboks.
England legends back Carley — and say more refs should follow his lead
Cole and Youngs give Carley a standing ovation for his Ellis Park performance, arguing his refusal to be influenced by the pre-match Springbok narrative — and his willingness to overrule his own TMO — is the template elite refereeing should follow.
Stransky: Ellis Park loss was a shock — but maybe the wake-up call the Boks needed
Stransky argues the Boks had more than enough early-game control to win at Ellis Park but were tactically conservative and failed to convert dominance into points — leaving the All Blacks to punish them clinically. His breakdown of where the game was lost makes for useful reading before the Cape Town Test.
Red-zone conversion collapse: the stat that explains the Ellis Park defeat
A damning Opta stat sits at the heart of this breakdown: the Boks' 0.7 points per red-zone entry at Ellis Park is one of only three sub-one-point showings in 66 Tests since 2020 — and they lost both previous instances too. The piece connects individual errors, turnover count, and a blunt attacking edge to explain how territorial dominance produced almost nothing.
Aaron Smith: Why the 9 role is harder than ever — and what Dupont started
Aaron Smith argues evolving defensive structures at the breakdown have made the 9 role significantly harder, credits Dupont with forcing a positional reinvention, and gives a candid take on how Roigard exposed the Springboks' half-back pairing in the recent Test.