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The Ruck: Boks' veterans and set-piece dominance sealed the series — the fourth test is just a payday
Charlie Morgan makes the case that the Springboks' veteran leadership and set-piece ruthlessness settled the series in South Africa, while flagging the World Cup draw and attacking cohesion as the genuine threats to a third consecutive title.
McKenzie: All Blacks have plenty to play for in Baltimore finale
Damian McKenzie says the All Blacks have plenty to play for in the Baltimore finale despite trailing the Greatest Rivalry Series 2-1, pointing to New Zealand's try-scoring output and the need to convert momentum swings as the key to levelling the series.
Are the All Blacks paying the price for Super Rugby's set-piece neglect?
A data-driven breakdown of how South Africa's 12-to-one scrum penalty dominance across three Tests exposed a structural weakness in New Zealand's forward preparation — and whether Super Rugby's expansive-game culture is the root cause heading into the Baltimore decider.
World Rugby's 2027 draw has put the final in the quarter-finals — and it knew exactly what it was doing
A sharp structural critique of the 2027 RWC draw — arguing World Rugby knowingly built a format that sends the Boks and All Blacks into a quarter-final collision, repeating the same mistake that produced the 2023 semi-final that should have been a final.
Boks chasing a feat only Pieter de Villiers's side has managed
A Bok win in Baltimore would mirror the 2009 Tri Nations sweep — the only time SA has beaten the All Blacks three times in one year. The piece draws the historical parallel and frames what's at stake before Saturday's series decider.
Matfield backs SFM to work through 'second-year syndrome' as Bok 10 debate intensifies
Matfield diagnoses SFM's troubled 2026 form as 'second-year syndrome' and lays out a clear-eyed three-way comparison of the Bok 10 candidates — worth reading for his breakdown of what each playmaker brings and why he still backs SFM to come out on top.
Kirwan concedes the better team won as Boks' experience proves decisive
Kirwan and Matfield both point to Bok experience and composure as the decisive edge in Soweto, with South Africa's second-half shift in gears the difference. The All Blacks head to Baltimore for the series decider without Savea and Tupaea.
Springboks lauded for ruthless Soweto response — but injuries and Baltimore gimmick sour the series
A broadly celebratory post-series wrap that praises Bok clutch execution, Erasmus's self-awareness and the series referees, while taking pointed aim at the Baltimore format, the Savea/Kolbe injury toll, and the All Blacks' scrum vulnerabilities.
Why South Africa and New Zealand are built to last — and England are structurally stuck
Using the Springboks' 2-1 series lead over the All Blacks as a jumping-off point, this piece argues that South Africa, New Zealand and France sustain excellence because their professional structures grew out of genuine community identity — the Boks' grassroots scouting, New Zealand's fifty-year Pacific pipeline, French clubs as civic institutions. England's problem isn't culture (Cornwall put 40,000 into Twickenham for a County Championship final); it's that the professional game was built where the feeling wasn't, leaving the two permanently disconnected.
De Klerk returns as Bulls name 35-man squad for Paarl pre-season clash with Stormers
Sebastian de Klerk returns from injury as Johan Ackermann names a 35-man Bulls squad for Friday's pre-season friendly against the Stormers in Paarl, with four Springboks included and forward conditioning a key objective.
The case for starting Libbok at 10 in Baltimore
Louw argues Libbok should start in Baltimore, citing his direct role in the Boks' biggest wins over the All Blacks and the attacking dimension he unlocks that no other Bok flyhalf replicates.
Springboks arrive in USA ahead of series decider against All Blacks
The Springboks have arrived in the USA leading their series against the All Blacks 2-1, with the fourth and final Test to come.
All Blacks identify Bok set-piece dominance as the Baltimore problem to solve
Neil Barnes singles out South Africa's set-piece dominance — and the penalty stream it produces — as the core problem New Zealand must fix in Baltimore, while insisting the gap is small and the game plan sound. The injury losses of Savea, Tupaea, and Jacobson add a difficult wrinkle heading into a series decider.
Wallabies lose Carter Gordon to leg fracture ahead of Springboks Test
Australia will be without first-choice flyhalf Carter Gordon for their Perth Test against the Springboks on 26 September after the playmaker suffered a leg fracture in the weekend's 28-28 draw with Argentina. The injury is expected to sideline Gordon for two months, ruling him out of the Bledisloe Cup series as well.
Gordon fracture rules Wallaby playmaker out of Springbok Test and Bledisloe series
Carter Gordon has fractured his leg, ruling the Wallabies' first-choice flyhalf out of the September 26 Test against the Springboks in Perth and the Bledisloe Cup series, with Tom Lynagh the likely replacement.
Former All Blacks: What went wrong in Test 3 — and what NZ must fix in Baltimore
Three former All Blacks dissect what went wrong in Test 3 of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series and what NZ must change to level it in Baltimore — with Bok pressure-game mastery at the centre of the post-mortem.
All Blacks coach admits Bok set-piece is a 'gravy train of penalties' ahead of Baltimore decider
Barnes openly acknowledged the Bok set-piece has been the series' decisive weapon, while insisting the All Blacks' game plan doesn't need an overhaul — just fewer errors and a better handle on referee perception at scrum time. Baltimore will show whether that's clarity or denial.
Scrum dominance, Kolisi's record, and Roigard's theatrics: Third Test hits and misses
A hits-and-misses breakdown of the third Test that centres on Bok scrum dominance as both a physical and psychological weapon, Hooker's breakout display, Kolisi's captaincy record, and pointed criticism of Roigard's theatrical antics late in the first half.
Rennie pinpoints Jordan error as turning point in All Blacks' Soweto defeat
All Blacks assistant coach Dave Rennie has identified a costly mistake by Will Jordan as the pivotal moment in Saturday's 29-24 defeat to the Springboks at FNB Stadium. Despite Jordan's try giving New Zealand a 17-12 lead in the 56th minute, the world champions responded immediately through Jesse Kriel and seized control of the contest. The result extends South Africa's lead to 2-1 in the four-Test Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
All Blacks vow to fix maul defence ahead of Baltimore decider
New Zealand lock Sam Darry has acknowledged his side must improve their maul defence after the Springboks dominated that facet in Saturday's 29-24 victory at FNB Stadium. The All Blacks conceded a crucial 20-metre rolling maul try to Malcolm Marx in the 65th minute, a score that helped the Boks pull clear in Soweto.