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Springboks touch down in Australia with Perth Test firmly in sight
The Springboks have arrived in Terrigal, Australia, and will begin training on Friday ahead of their one-off Test against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth on 27 September, with Erasmus citing player recovery and a fully committed Wallabies side as the key considerations this week.
Springboks base in Terrigal ahead of Perth Test as Erasmus flags Wallabies threat
The Springboks have arrived in Australia and based themselves in Terrigal ahead of their 27 September Test against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth, with Erasmus warning of a different challenge to those posed by Argentina and the All Blacks.
Wallabies playmaker puzzle clouds a genuine shot at the Springboks
Kiss's decision to overlook Lolesio is the analytical core here, set against a genuine case that a rotated Springbok side in Perth is there to be beaten — with an added swipe at All Blacks referee complaints.
Cardiff revisited: Bok Women veterans hungry to rewrite 2018 history
Latsha, Gwala, Hele and Jacobs revisit the 2018 Cardiff loss — and make clear they believe the Bok Women are a different proposition this time around, with rankings, experience and confidence all pointing in the right direction.
Three World Rugby POTYs left out of Kitshoff and Nyakane's greatest rivalry XV
Kitshoff and Nyakane's combined Bok-All Black XV from Rugby's Greatest Rivalry omits three World Rugby POTYs — Marx is the only winner to make a nine-Bok, six-All Black side.
Cardiff debutants of 2018 hungry to rewrite history in Wales
Four Springbok Women who made their debuts in a 19-5 defeat at Cardiff Arms Park in 2018 — Babalwa Latsha, Lindelwa Gwala, Aseza Hele and Felicia Jacobs — are targeting a first win in Wales when the two nations meet on Friday, with South Africa now ranked 10th in the world to Wales's 13th.
Wales lose Powell to hamstring injury ahead of Springbok Women clash at Cardiff Arms Park
Kayleigh Powell has been ruled out of Wales' entire WXV Global Series campaign with a hamstring injury, adding to the absences of Donna Rose, Kelsie Webster and Hanna Tudor ahead of Friday's Test against the Springbok Women at Cardiff Arms Park.
Van der Merwe fit and available as Munster prepare for URC opener
Marnus van der Merwe has recovered from the calf injury he brought to Munster and is available for selection ahead of their URC opener against Glasgow Warriors, with his return also welcome news for Springbok hooker depth.
Springboks' series triumph masks persistent attacking shortcomings despite 3-1 win
South Africa's 3-1 series victory over New Zealand showcased the world champions' trademark resilience, but exposed lingering issues in converting pressure into points. After falling behind at Ellis Park, the Springboks relied on their set-piece dominance to grind out three consecutive wins, though matches remained tight deep into second halves. Individual brilliance from Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse papered over cracks that may yet prove costly in tighter contests.
Backs ratings: Who starred, who struggled across the four-Test series
Planet Rugby rates all 11 Bok backs across the Greatest Rivalry series — van den Berg and Arendse top the charts, SFM gets a pointed 6, and both starting scrumhalves finish the tour with less standing than they started with.
RGR Report Card: Every Bok Rated Across the Four Tests
A player-by-player ratings breakdown of all 30 Boks across the RGR series, with Malcolm Marx the standout (9) and the fly-half position still a live debate — plus honest assessments of who rose and fell across four Tests.
Post-RGR, Erasmus has the breathing room to experiment — and plenty of reasons to use it
Rich argues the RGR win gives Erasmus the political capital to resume his rotation agenda, and maps the selection pressures — hooker depth, Pollard's place, Dixon's fitness, and potential squad gambles for the November Nations Championship leg — that will define the Boks' remainder of 2026.
Willemse: Boks built through the series — nothing came easy against the All Blacks
Willemse pushes back on any comfortable-win narrative, noting the series decider in Baltimore was a three-point game until the 65th minute, and that the Boks were genuinely poor in the opening Ellis Park loss. His read: the squad's real achievement was the improvement arc across four Tests, not the 3-1 scoreline.
RGR win buys Rassie the freedom to experiment — here's what comes next
The RGR series win — achieved with notably little rotation — has given Erasmus the freedom to experiment from Perth onwards. Rich maps the key selection questions: hooker depth, Pollard's flyhalf claim, Porthen at tighthead, and a crowded back three. He also argues the November away leg could see Erasmus take calculated risks with his squad given the pressure is now off.
Ex-Wallaby calls brake-foot law 'dangerous as hell' after Springboks scrum penalties sink All Blacks
Jeremy Paul argues World Rugby's brake-foot law is physically dangerous — not just over-officiated — and offers a hip-based framework for referees to simplify scrum policing, triggered by the penalties that hurt the All Blacks against the Springboks.
Van den Berg's audition shifts the halfback depth conversation
Van den Berg's standout showing in the series decider has caught attention beyond South African circles — the piece looks at what his form means for Bok scrumhalf depth and Erasmus's selection headaches.
Kirwan backs Rennie but admits All Blacks must win now
Kirwan defends Rennie after the 3-1 series loss, blaming Bok pressure-management experience rather than All Blacks coaching — but warns results in the Bledisloe and November tour are now non-negotiable.
RGR series review: Bok flexes, All Black flops, and a scheduling question worth asking
A thorough post-mortem on the RGR series — covering the Boks' tactical evolution in Baltimore, the milestone haul, the All Blacks' media games and post-series whinging, and a sharp question about whether shipping the final Test to the USA served the series well.
3-1 over the All Blacks: What drove the Springbok recovery and what it reveals about Erasmus
A post-series debrief on the Boks' 3-1 Greatest Rivalry win, analysing how Erasmus turned a humiliating Ellis Park loss into a commanding series victory, who starred across the four Tests, and why the warm-up scheduling was the one real own goal.
Springbok Women begin Wales preparations despite travel fatigue and wet conditions
The Springbok Women completed their first training session in Cardiff on Monday, shaking off the effects of a long-haul journey from Cape Town as they prepare for Friday's WXV Global Series opener against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. Co-coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt expressed satisfaction with the session despite windy and rainy conditions, emphasising clarity and match simulation as the squad targets a first victory over Wales since 2010.