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2,956 items · Springboks
Tuipulotu admits Bok set-piece dominance has All Blacks on the back foot heading into series decider
Tuipulotu gives a frank series debrief ahead of the Baltimore decider — the Bok set-piece has dominated, he's been brought in specifically to address it, and he's not pretending the gap doesn't exist.
Bomb Squad set to blow the roof off Baltimore: Boks predicted to wrap up the RGR series 3-1
Planet Rugby tips the Boks to close out the RGR series 3-1 with a 43-20 win in Baltimore, building the case around forward dominance, the All Blacks' makeshift back row and loose trio, Van den Berg's tempo at nine, and a question mark over whether SFM has fully returned to his explosive best.
Mo'unga returns as All Blacks seek Baltimore leveller in Greatest Rivalry decider
Richie Mo'unga will start his first Test since the 2023 World Cup final when New Zealand face the Springboks in Baltimore on Saturday, with the series poised at 2–1 to South Africa. All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie confirmed the selection was pre-planned regardless of the Soweto result, while the Boks aim to clinch the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry trophy outright. The fixture doubles as a staging post for the 2031 World Cup in the United States.
Rennie's RGR decider blueprint: front five overhaul and faith in the referee
Rennie has overhauled his tight five for Baltimore, acknowledging that New Zealand's own errors fed the scrum-penalty-piggyback cycle that hurt them in Soweto. With a truncated prep week, he's banking on personnel changes and referee Karl Dickson to turn the set-piece tide in the RGR decider.
Baltimore decider doubles as World Cup 2031 showcase
The Baltimore decider settles a tightly contested Bok-All Blacks series, but it's also World Rugby's most visible pitch yet for the US as a 2031 World Cup host — with venue negotiations ongoing and transatlantic Six Nations fixtures potentially in the pipeline.
De Allende lifts the lid on the Boks' midfield defensive system
De Allende explains that the Boks' midfield defence runs on preparation over instinct, with Kriel as the system's defensive leader. The disruption caused by Kriel moving to wing in the first RGR Test wasn't incidental — it exposed how load-bearing that partnership is.
Mo'unga Returns as All Blacks Ring Changes for Series Finale
Richie Mo'unga will make his first Test appearance in three years when New Zealand face the Springboks in Baltimore on Saturday, headlining wholesale changes to Dave Rennie's side. The fly-half last featured in the 2023 World Cup final defeat to South Africa. Codie Taylor captains an entirely recast front row in the absence of injured skipper Ardie Savea as the All Blacks seek to level the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series at two apiece.
Five things Rennie's Baltimore selection tells us about the All Blacks
Rennie's wholesale changes for the Baltimore decider are picked apart across five angles — depth vs the Boks, Mo'unga's cold audition, a set-piece crisis that forced a full front-row overhaul, and what the night means for Blackadder, Ioane and Beauden Barrett's All Blacks futures.
Ethan Hooker on fatigue, injury, loss — and what drives him in the Green and Gold
Ethan Hooker opens up on finding joy in fatigue, an early return from shoulder surgery, coping with his father's death mid-season, and what a first Bok loss taught him about the standards inside Erasmus's camp.
Baltimore decider: Boks one point better, but All Blacks have the tools to level it
Rugby365 calls a one-point Bok win in Baltimore, with the analysis centred on whether Rennie's reshuffled loose trio and Tuipulotu's set-piece inclusion can finally neutralise South Africa's forward dominance — the area that has defined and ultimately decided the series.
Ethan Hooker on fatigue, injury, loss — and why the Boks' winning culture lifts him
A revealing profile of Ethan Hooker — covering his injury recovery, how the Boks' loss culture lands on younger players, and the personal loss of his father — that paints a picture of a player mentally equipped for the Test arena as the World Cup cycle builds.
Springboks hold freshness advantage as All Blacks arrive battle-weary in Baltimore
The Springboks enter Saturday's final Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test in Baltimore with a significant physical edge after a month-long series that has left New Zealand depleted and fatigued. While Rassie Erasmus has managed only minor squad tweaks, the All Blacks have lost key personnel including Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea to an arduous tour schedule that included four provincial fixtures alongside three brutal Tests. Former All Black Justin Marshall conceded the tourists have been "beaten up" by the demands of facing South Africa's franchises and the world champions.
Tour fatigue hands Boks a hidden edge heading into Baltimore decider
Justin Marshall argues the All Blacks are arriving at the Baltimore decider genuinely worn down by provincial fixtures the Boks never had to play — and that South Africa's pack-first game plan has compounded the physical toll throughout the series.
Baltimore may be a money game, but Gavin Rich still expects the Boks to close it out emphatically
Gavin Rich previews the Baltimore decider, arguing the commercial cynicism surrounding the venue shouldn't obscure what's at stake — an outright RGR title with genuine historical weight. He tips the Boks to win by 15+, pointing to All Black deflation, injury losses, and the Bok pack hitting peak form.
Tony Brown's 'overstimulation' theory explains the Boks' slow-start pattern
Tony Brown believes Bok coaching staff overload players with information at series openers, leaving them overstimulated — Mallett traces the pattern across multiple series and backs the Boks to peak in Baltimore, while Matfield explains why Erasmus has held back on rotation despite the 2-1 lead.
Boks have the edge in Baltimore — and they need to use it
Keohane makes the case that Bok continuity and freshness give them a decisive edge over a worn-down All Blacks side in Baltimore — and that letting New Zealand square the series would be an inexcusable missed opportunity.
Dallaglio: Only genuine pioneers will crack Rassie's Springboks
Dallaglio argues the Springboks are now too well-drilled to overpower conventionally — only teams willing to pioneer genuinely new tactical thinking stand a chance of disrupting Erasmus's system.
De Allende hails Barrett brilliance as Springboks eye series triumph in Baltimore
Damian de Allende has praised Jordie Barrett's skill set ahead of Saturday's Rugby's Greatest Rivalry finale in Baltimore, where the Springboks can lift the trophy with a win or draw. The centurion centre described facing the All Blacks four weeks running as brutal but a massive privilege, and said he has learned a great deal from Barrett across the three Tests. South Africa hold a 2-1 series lead heading into the M&T Bank Stadium clash.
Taylor to captain All Blacks as Mo'unga starts at 10 for series finale
Codie Taylor captains a changed All Blacks side for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series finale against the Springboks on Saturday, with Richie Mo'unga at 10.
Taine Randell: The Boks didn't outscore the All Blacks — they outmuscled them
Randell argues the All Blacks were the more creative team across the series but got physically worn down by the Boks over three brutal weeks — and that the Erasmus system's accumulated experience proved the decisive edge.