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Malherbe decision likely delayed until January as Dobson names 56-man Stormers squad
John Dobson expects a decision on Frans Malherbe's future to drag into January, with the veteran prop absent from the Stormers' 56-man URC and Champions Cup squad after more than a year out with chronic neck and back problems. Dobson also confirmed scrumhalf Imad Khan suffered an ACL injury against the All Blacks and is targeting an April return.
Mallett: The RGR series was harder than any World Cup — and the final might be the easiest game
Mallett argues the Boks' RGR series win was harder than any World Cup — and that if they navigate a likely All Blacks quarter-final and France semi in 2027, the final could ironically be their easiest knockout game.
Mehrtens: Boks' ranking dominance 'extraordinary' — and the All Blacks were lucky to avoid a 4-0 whitewash
Mehrtens rates the Springboks' series dominance as extraordinary, admits 4-0 was realistic, and defends the All Blacks' attacking approach as their only viable option against a side too physically imposing to play any other way.
Kolisi and Kolbe headline 56-man Stormers squad as Nel named captain for 2026/27
The Stormers have named a 56-man squad for 2026/27 featuring 15 Springboks, with Ruhan Nel as club captain and high-profile returnees Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw back in Cape Town. The season opens with URC away fixtures against Connacht in Galway and Edinburgh.
Bevan switches to fly-half as Wales name team for WXV opener against Springbok Women
Keira Bevan starts at 10 as Wales take on the Springbok Women in their WXV opener in Cardiff on Friday.
Jake White: The Boks don't need to change — the world needs to catch up
Jake White argues the Boks' 3-1 series win over the All Blacks proves Erasmus needs to change nothing — the ageing core silenced their critics, the depth pipeline is working, and it's the rest of the world's problem to close the gap before 2027.
Hansen pinpoints exactly where the Boks broke the All Blacks — and why it worries him
Hansen itemises the four areas — breakdown work, scrum dominance on SA ball, high ball, and maul defence — where the Springboks exposed the All Blacks across the series, while arguing the gaps are fixable rather than structural.
Kitshoff: Walking around in scrums is a cardinal sin in Springbok rugby
Kitshoff dismisses Rennie's walking-around accusations, backing Human's straight-scrum philosophy and drawing a pointed parallel between today's All Blacks and the pre-Erasmus Boks.
RGR series: Marx and Kolisi cement legacies, but New Zealand's leadership void exposed
Malcolm Marx and Kolisi headline Planet Rugby's RGR series review, but the sharpest insight concerns New Zealand's leadership void beyond Savea — framed as the most pressing World Cup work-on for Rennie's side.
Springbok Women open WXV against Wales with 10-point win predicted
Rugby365 previews the Springbok Women's WXV opener against Wales in Cardiff, with Logan Welman's elevation to No.8 the headline selection call and a 10-point Bok win predicted.
A Golden Era Earned: Why This Bok Generation Finally Cracked the Between-World-Cups Code
Rich argues the post-2019 Bok generation has finally cracked the code no previous World Cup-winning squad managed — sustained dominance between tournaments — and makes the case that this is the greatest period of consistent Bok rugby in the professional era.
Erasmus and the Unfinished Business: Why Consistency Between World Cups Defines This Springbok Era
When Rassie Erasmus took charge in 2018, the Springboks were ranked sixth and reeling from 11 defeats in 25 matches. The 2019 World Cup triumph in Yokohama restored pride, but history warned against complacency. No previous Springbok World Cup-winning side had maintained dominance in the years between tournaments. Now, as the 2026 cycle unfolds, Erasmus faces the challenge that eluded his predecessors: sustaining excellence when the Webb Ellis Cup is not at stake. The question is no longer whether the Boks can peak for a global tournament, but whether they can redefine what it means to reign.
Rassie by the numbers: The full statistical case for his place in Springbok history
The most thorough statistical audit of the Erasmus era assembled in one place — 100 Tests broken down by role, season, opponent, and benchmarked against every significant Springbok coaching tenure. Essential reading for anyone wanting the full picture beyond the World Cup headlines.
RGR Winners and Losers: Marx and Kolisi cement legacies as All Blacks expose a leadership gap
Malcolm Marx and Kolisi are Planet Rugby's headline winners from the 3-1 series triumph, but the piece's sharpest insight is on New Zealand's leadership fragility — a vulnerability the Boks, with their depth of on-field authority, don't share, and one that could prove decisive at the World Cup.
All Blacks forwards rated: Savea shines but the scrum tells a worrying World Cup story
A granular forward-by-forward rating from the 3-1 series loss — the loose forward depth looks encouraging, but a fragile tighthead scrum is flagged as a genuine World Cup concern.
The Boks Have Finally Done What No World Cup-Winning Generation Did Before Them
Gavin Rich makes the case that the Erasmus era has finally delivered what no post-World Cup Bok generation managed before — sustained dominance between tournaments — and reflects on the full arc from the 2016 lows to the RGR series triumph, with a warning about rugby league's growing pull on New Zealand.
Youngs: France need a Bok scalp before their home World Cup
Ben Youngs argues France must beat the Springboks in Paris before the World Cup — not just for the points, but to clear any psychological barriers that could haunt them when the home tournament pressure peaks.
Jake White: This All Blacks side lack something no NZ side has ever lacked
White argues this All Blacks side are missing something historically unprecedented in New Zealand rugby — and that it adds context to South Africa's current standing at the top of the game.
Cardinelli: The Boks' Ageing Core Isn't a Liability — It's the Blueprint for Sydney
Jon Cardinelli argued that the Boks' experienced core — set to be 33–34 at the 2027 World Cup — is a competitive advantage rather than a crisis, with the Greatest Rivalry series serving as proof, while identifying hooker depth and the 13 channel as the genuine selection concerns going forward.
Five moments that sealed the Boks' series triumph in Baltimore
Coetzee identifies the five pivotal moments from the series-clinching win in Baltimore — from early defensive scares to the Arendse finish that closed it out — arguing the Boks won through relentless pressure and lethal opportunism rather than one decisive blow.