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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.
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.
Ex-All Black: Boks could have swept 4-0 had South Africa not overplayed their hand in Joburg
New Zealand pundits dissect the 3-1 series loss, with Afoa arguing South Africa's overconfidence in the first Test handed the All Blacks a result they didn't deserve — and that a 4-0 thrashing was very much on the cards.
Rennie's All Blacks have identity — but do they have the fundamentals to back it up?
Rennie has given the All Blacks an attacking identity and genuine confidence with ball in hand — but the set-piece and aerial game remain unresolved problems that could undermine the whole project if left unchecked heading toward the World Cup.
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.
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.
Super Rugby's league-ification is why the All Blacks can't live with the Boks
Gavin Rich argues that Super Rugby's drift toward league-style rugby has left the All Blacks structurally underprepared for what the Boks bring — and that without SA franchises in the competition, New Zealand lacks the mechanism they've historically used to reset.
Wallabies recall Petaia and blood new flyhalf for Springbok clash in Perth
Australia have recalled Jordan Petaia for the first time since the 2023 World Cup and included uncapped flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips in their 34-man squad for the Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Perth on 27 September.
Erasmus plays down Springbok superiority despite Greatest Rivalry triumph
Rassie Erasmus dismissed suggestions that South Africa were the better side after clinching the inaugural Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 with a 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore. The Springbok head coach insisted the contest remained in the balance until the final 11 minutes, praising his side's experience rather than any perceived gap in quality. Former captain Jean de Villiers hailed the performance as one that would live long in the memory.
Mo'unga: Boks are a 'complete team' — and three years away reminded him nothing compares to Test rugby
Mo'unga's first Test since the 2023 World Cup final ended in a 43-28 defeat, and he was frank about it — the Boks are a more complete team than they were in Paris, and the All Blacks still have ground to make up in accuracy and defensive pressure.
Rennie takes the long view after 3-1 series loss to the Boks
Rennie's verdict on a 3-1 series defeat to the Boks is less about damage control and more about what the tour revealed — Preston's rise, Barrett's squad value, and the disciplinary lapses that keep costing the All Blacks against top-tier opposition.
Rennie proud of effort but accepts Boks were clinical in Baltimore
Dave Rennie concedes the Springboks were clinical in Baltimore after South Africa claimed a 43-28 win and the Greatest Rivalry series 3-1, with New Zealand losing three Tests in a row against the Boks for the first time since 2009.
All Blacks ratings: Roigard and Blackadder shine, but Bomb Squad exposes New Zealand's bench depth
Roigard and Blackadder were the bright spots in Baltimore, but Planet Rugby's ratings expose a thin All Blacks bench demolished by the Bomb Squad, a leaky lineout, and a front five outmuscled for the series.
All Blacks ratings: Roigard and Blackadder shine but Bomb Squad exposure tells the real story
Planet Rugby's Baltimore player ratings highlight Roigard and Blackadder as the All Blacks' best, but identify the Bomb Squad's demolition of the bench and a physically outgunned front five as the defining factors in a 43-28 defeat.
Springboks seal Rugby's Greatest Rivalry crown with emphatic Baltimore triumph
The Springboks clinched the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 with a commanding 43-28 victory over the All Blacks at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Six tries, including a stunning second-half effort from Kurt-Lee Arendse, sealed a deserved win in front of a capacity 71,000 crowd. The triumph caps a dominant series for Rassie Erasmus' side, who led 2-1 heading into the final Test.
Springboks seal Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series with 43-26 win over All Blacks in Baltimore
The Springboks clinched the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series with a 43-26 win over the All Blacks in Baltimore.
Mo'unga returns for All Blacks decider as Love rested after six-Test run
Richie Mo'unga will make his first Test appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final when the All Blacks face the Springboks in Saturday's series decider. The playmaker replaces Ruben Love at fly-half, with coach Dave Rennie insisting the change reflects workload management rather than form concerns. Mo'unga has spent the past three seasons in Japan.
Hansen backs Rennie's rotation gamble for Bok decider
Hansen endorses Rennie's decision to start Mo'unga and rest Love entirely, framing it as sound man-management and a deliberate squad-depth test — with several changes forced by injury rather than choice.
Lienert-Brown on what it'll take to topple the Boks
Lienert-Brown believes the All Blacks' path to beating the Boks in Saturday's decider runs through the fine detail — the full piece unpacks his analysis of those critical margins.
Mo'unga starts Rugby's Greatest Rivalry decider as Rennie reveals Barrett's role in Baltimore
Richie Mo'unga starts the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series decider against the Springboks in Baltimore — a decision Dave Rennie says was locked in weeks ago regardless of the Soweto result. Ruben Love drops out of the 23 entirely, while Beauden Barrett returns for his first Test of the year, expected at fullback.