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Ox Nche braced for Ellis Park scrum battle as England seek World Cup redemption
Springbok loosehead Ox Nche expects a fierce set-piece contest when England visit Ellis Park on Saturday for the Nations Championship opener. The visitors boasted the Six Nations' best scrum success rate and carry motivation from their 2023 World Cup semi-final defeat, with Ellis Genge describing that loss as an 'open wound'. Captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick dismissed suggestions the Springboks are outright favourites despite their world number one ranking.
Kolisi and Stick warn Boks: England will arrive charged up for Ellis Park opener
Kolisi and Stick have urged the Springboks not to underestimate England ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park, highlighting England's backline threat, set-piece strength and the lessons of the 2023 World Cup semi-final as reasons to expect a fierce contest.
Kolisi: 'When the nerves go, that's when it's time to stop'
Kolisi reflects on why his pre-match nerves haven't dimmed in eight years as Bok captain — and explains how distributed leadership, not individual authority, has become the Springboks' defining pressure-management tool.
Springboks pushed World Rugby to tighten maul laws — and Ireland will feel it most
Jackman traces the maul law directive back to South African lobbying and argues Ireland — whose system relied on the defensive grey areas now being closed — will be most disadvantaged, while the Boks stand to gain most from a change that should make corner kicks far more dangerous.
Kitshoff sees Hanekom as du Toit cover, not Kolisi successor
Kitshoff argues Hanekom's clearest Bok pathway isn't at 8 or as Kolisi's heir, but as du Toit's cover at blindside — with World Cup load management likely to open that door.
Skinstad: The target on the Boks' back is exactly what they need
Skinstad argues the Boks' unprecedented 2025 schedule — Nations Championship, a four-Test All Blacks tour, and a northern hemisphere leg — is less a burden than a perfectly timed pressure-cooker ahead of France 2027, one Erasmus will use to blood and harden his next generation of trusted senior players.
Welman in the spotlight as Bok Women face USA in Ellis Park historic first
Welman steps up for the injured Hele as the Bok Women host the USA at Ellis Park for the first time — a match that doubles as both a ranking benchmark and a showcase for South Africa's emerging talent.
George: England aren't at Ellis Park just to make up the numbers
George insists England's altitude preparation is genuine and that a chastened post-Six Nations squad is here to win, not participate — but the 2018 Ellis Park collapse looms large over their claims.
Kitshoff: Pollard's dip in form doesn't define what he brings when it matters
Kitshoff argues Pollard's URC form slump is noise — his Bok big-game record, Paris included, makes him still the Iceman. The piece also previews what both Kitshoff and Tim Cocker see as a near World Cup final-strength Springbok squad lining up against England.
Jonny May: England must bully the bullies at Ellis Park
Jonny May argues England's best weapon against the Boks has always been matching their physical aggression and getting under their skin — and says they'll need to find that edge again at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Junior Boks grind down Georgia 33-5 to take command of Pool A
The Junior Springboks beat host nation Georgia 33-5 in Tbilisi for their second bonus-point win at the Junior World Championship, going top of Pool A on 10 points ahead of a decisive clash with Wales next Tuesday.
Springbok Women host USA Eagles for first time — a 7-point win predicted
A historically significant fixture for SA women's rugby, with the Bok Women hosting the USA for the first time. Rugby365 previews the tactical challenges, key personnel battles, and tips a 7-point home win.
Libbok arrives in Springbok camp fresh and confident after Japan stint
Manie Libbok returns to the Springboks physically fresh and as Japan Rugby League One Division Two's leading points scorer, having accumulated 165 points in 14 matches for the Kintetsu Liners, with former Wallaby Will Genia noting the stint also developed Libbok into a stronger on-field leader.
Junior Boks dismantle Georgia 33-5 to take command of Pool A
The Junior Springboks beat tournament hosts Georgia 33-5 in Tbilisi for their second bonus-point win at the Junior World Championship, going top of Pool A ahead of a group-deciding clash with Wales next Tuesday.
Borthwick backs Pollock to thrive despite expected Springbok attention at Ellis Park
England coach Steve Borthwick has dismissed concerns that the Springboks will successfully neutralise Henry Pollock when the 21-year-old loose forward takes the field at Ellis Park on Saturday. Named on the bench for the Test, Pollock has been targeted by opposition sides throughout European rugby this season, yet continues to shine.
Eagles hunting Fourth of July momentum against Portugal and South Africa
Both US Eagles sides are in action on Independence Day — the men against Portugal in Denver, the women against South Africa in Johannesburg — with the piece examining what these fixtures mean for rugby's growth in America.
Borthwick warns Boks: Pollock thrives when teams try to shut him down
Borthwick says Pollock thrives when teams try to neutralise him — and he's built England's bench strategy around that quality for Saturday's Ellis Park Test.
Blunt England's emotion early — and the Boks win comfortably
Rich argues the Boks win if they do what Erasmus's teams always do — strangle momentum at source. England's threat is real but narrow: forward emotion led by a fit-again George Martin. The talent gap is decisive if the Boks don't allow the game to become an arm-wrestle.
Blunt the emotion early, and the Boks should win comfortably
Rich argues the Boks are clear favourites on personnel and home conditions, but warns that England's capacity to front them physically and emotionally — as they did in Paris — makes blunting that early momentum the Boks' critical first task.
Nche eyes scrum battle as Genge's World Cup wounds reopen
Nche anticipates a heavyweight scrum battle fuelled by Genge's lingering pain from the 2023 semi-final penalty, while also flagging a more dynamic England backline as a genuine threat at Ellis Park.