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Hansen: Stormers will treat the All Blacks like a trial run for Rassie
Hansen warns that fringe Springbok hopefuls will treat the Stormers v All Blacks fixture as a Rassie audition played at full physical intensity — and breaks down Rennie's squad logic around the loose forward selections.
Jeff Wilson thinks the Baltimore Test ruins an otherwise perfect tour
Jeff Wilson argues the four-Test structure undermines Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour by leaving open the possibility of an unsatisfying drawn series — three Tests in SA would have been perfect.
Dagg backs Jordan to break the all-time try-scoring record
Israel Dagg has no doubt Will Jordan will eventually surpass Ohata's all-time try-scoring record of 69, with the piece examining what makes Jordan's scoring instinct so difficult to contain — a timely read ahead of the four-Test Bok series with Habana's record of 67 sitting in the crosshairs.
Why Ardie Savea's absence could actually sharpen the All Blacks for the Test series
NZ pundits Hall and Parsons back Rennie's call to rest Savea for the tour's opening stages, arguing the burnout risk is real and a fresh Savea arriving just before the Johannesburg Test could be the spark the All Blacks need for the series.
Dagg on the Springbok icons who made every Test a trial
Dagg names du Preez, Steyn, Habana, Kirchner and Hougaard as the Springboks who made every Test a specific mental and physical preparation job — and explains exactly why each one kept the All Blacks honest.
Former All Black makes the case for Taylor to start at hooker against the Boks
New Zealand rugby pundits back Codie Taylor to start at hooker for the Ellis Park Test despite stiff competition, with James Parsons calling it a 'no-brainer' given Taylor's experience and Rennie's clear preference — and suggesting Aumua is actually better deployed off the bench.
Jeff Wilson: All Blacks stopped trying to out-Springbok the Springboks
Jeff Wilson argues the All Blacks wasted a decade trying to beat teams at their own superpowers — physically dominating the Boks, out-structuring Ireland — instead of leaning on New Zealand's own strengths. Under Rennie, Wilson sees a return to pace, conditioning and pressure as the foundation, with the prescription for the Springbok series being simple: get parity upfront, and the skillset takes care of the rest.
Codie Taylor can't wait to face the SA franchises — and wants Super Rugby back
Taylor, standing in as All Blacks captain while Savea rests, says the Super Rugby split genuinely frustrates him — he's relishing the chance to face the URC franchises again and isn't shy about saying NZ misses it. He's also managing a calf tweak that should clear before the Test series.
Codie Taylor relishing SA franchise challenge — and wants Super Rugby reunion
Codie Taylor, standing in as All Blacks captain while Savea takes a rest, says facing SA's URC franchises is something he's genuinely missed — and doesn't hold back on his view that the Super Rugby split was a loss for the game.
Read: All Blacks must match Bok bench impact — not copy their formula
Read argues the All Blacks don't need to copy Rassie's 6-2 split — but their bench must match Bok impact levels. Marshall flags Esterhuizen's hybrid role as a structural edge New Zealand can't currently replicate, with Fainga'anuku's injury removing their closest equivalent.
Hansen on the Greatest Rivalry: stylistic contrast, referee drift, and why contestable kicks worry him
Hansen welcomes the attacking shift in Test rugby and a perceived change in referee attitude, but flags two specific concerns heading into the Greatest Rivalry series: defences aren't competitive enough at contestable kicks, and referees are quietly letting crooked lineout throws slide — both areas where the Springboks' game plan sits comfortably.
Cane's Ellis Park goosebumps — and why that 2022 Bok win meant everything
Cane singles out the 2022 Ellis Park Test — with Foster's job on the line — as the Springbok victory that still gives him goosebumps, and explains why the hostile Ellis Park atmosphere was something the All Blacks actively fed off.
Kirwan and Matfield back Savea rest call — but Lions ghost looms over Rennie's decision
Kirwan and Matfield both endorse resting Savea before the Test series, but Kirwan raises a pointed warning about squad cohesion — invoking Woodward's ill-fated 2005 Lions setup as a cautionary tale for Rennie.
Rennie eyes World Cup answers in South Africa — Mo'unga, Ioane and the 6-2 gamble explained
Rennie is using the South Africa tour as a World Cup stress test — trialling the 6-2 split, managing scrum-half depth, keeping Mo'unga on standby and resetting Ioane as a winger. The piece details the selection logic behind each call.
All Blacks squad for SA tour: Who's in, who's out, and what it means for the Boks series
A detailed winners-and-losers breakdown of Rennie's All Blacks tour squad — covering the uncapped inclusions, the Savea rest strategy, Kirifi's shock snub, and the injury absences that reshape New Zealand's depth ahead of the Bok Tests.
Rennie bulks up for the Boks while keeping one eye on Australia 2027
Rennie's squad is built around a deliberate physical response to the Springbok forward pack, with Ta'eiloa and Blackadder added to give the loose trio some real bulk. But the piece also reads the tour as a World Cup laboratory — veterans like Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor face genuine scrutiny, and the back selections are designed for tactical experimentation as much as winning.
Rennie bulks up for the Boks while using the Greatest Rivalry tour as a World Cup audition
Rennie's 44-man squad is built around two goals: adding forward mass to front the Springbok pack, and using the tour's scale to answer lingering World Cup selection questions — from uncapped bolters to veterans like Beauden Barrett.
All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry squad: The standout calls and notable snubs
A detailed winners-and-losers breakdown of Rennie's 44-man All Blacks squad for the Greatest Rivalry tour — covering the uncapped inclusions, Savea's managed rest, Kirifi's shock snub, and the injury absences that will shape the Test series against the Springboks.
Sopoaga backs Love to handle the Springbok test at 10
Sopoaga endorses Ruben Love as the All Blacks' settled 10 ahead of the Springbok series, arguing he's thriving under Rennie and will only grow the more he plays — a useful read on the threat New Zealand could pose at fly-half.
Henry's ghost is back: ex-All Black says Rennie has restored what Robertson lost
Howarth argues Rennie has restored the Graham Henry 'freedom to try' philosophy that went missing under Robertson — and that shift alone has transformed the All Blacks from a team playing scared to one worth fearing ahead of the Springbok series.