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2,957 items · Springboks
Kiwi front-rowers split on Erasmus scrum fury — but both sides have a point
Parsons can't square Erasmus's outrage with the fact the Boks were penalised just once for walking around, while Taʻavao counters that the real grievance is South Africa's scrum dominance going largely unrewarded. Parsons also offers a blunt front-rower admission: nobody adjusts scrum tactics mid-game if the referee isn't penalising them — which explains the reset fest in Cape Town.
Erasmus doubles down on Rennie scrum row — but this time with protocol, not profanity
Erasmus reframes the Rennie scrum spat as a protocol issue rather than a technical rugby dispute, argues the media-as-referee-pressure tactic is the real offence, and defends the last-minute front-row switch as a legitimate weather-based call within the laws.
Kolbe shifts to fullback as Erasmus rings four changes for third All Blacks Test at FNB Stadium
Erasmus makes four changes for the third Greatest Rivalry Test at FNB Stadium, with Kolbe shifting to fullback and Arendse starting on the wing after Willemse's injury, while the original front-row of Nche, Louw and Marx is restored.
Record loose trio, Kolbe at 15, and the Grobbelaar curse: Soweto squad winners and losers
Planet Rugby's winners-and-losers breakdown of the Soweto squad covers the record-breaking loose trio, Kolbe's full-back shift, Willemse's injury impact, and recurring frustrations for Grobbelaar and De Villiers.
Erasmus bent the rules in Cape Town — and it worked
Alex Lowe argued that Erasmus breached the 48-hour selection deadline with Cheslin Kolbe's late inclusion, while the front-row switch was technically legal but against the spirit of the regulations — and that the Cape Town win was built on a deliberate Erasmus directive to kick every penalty on offer.
Springbok snarl is back — but Rassie's F-bomb moment draws a rebuke
Planet Rugby credits the Boks for a deserved Cape Town win driven by veteran physicality and a revived snarl — but Rassie's F-bomb press conference moment earns a rebuke, with the column calling for SA Rugby to intervene on decorum.
Kolbe's boot levels Greatest Rivalry series as Boks avoid 'Blou Maandag'
Cheslin Kolbe's 18-point haul proved decisive as South Africa levelled the Greatest Rivalry series 1-1 with a 33-26 victory over New Zealand in Cape Town. The winger landed three conversions and four penalties to overturn the disappointment of the previous week's 16-33 defeat at Ellis Park.
Kolbe's boot steadies Boks as series heads to Joburg locked at 1-1
Kolbe's 18-point kicking display levelled the series in Cape Town, and he reflects on the camp's post-Ellis Park mood, his goal-kicking development, and what a fired-up All Blacks side will bring in the third Test.
Erasmus accuses Rennie of bypassing official channels in scrum row
Erasmus hits back at Rennie, accusing the All Blacks coach of airing scrum grievances in public instead of using official channels.
Rassie accuses Rennie of going public instead of through official channels
Rassie Erasmus has accused Dave Rennie of going public with his grievances about the Springboks' scrum technique instead of using official channels.
Erasmus reverts to original front row and moves Kolbe to full-back for third All Blacks Test at FNB Stadium
Erasmus reverts to his original front row of Nche, Louw and Marx for the third Greatest Rivalry Test at FNB Stadium, with Kolbe moving to full-back to cover the injured Willemse and Arendse coming onto the wing. The series is locked at 1-1, with the winner going two Tests clear ahead of the USA finale.
Erasmus backs continuity as Kolbe shifts to fullback for FNB decider
Rassie Erasmus has named a largely unchanged side for Saturday's third Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test against New Zealand at the FNB Stadium, making only four personnel changes and one positional switch. Cheslin Kolbe moves to fullback in place of the injured Damian Willemse, with Kurt-Lee Arendse drafted onto the wing. The front row of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw returns to the starting XV as the Springboks look to secure bragging rights on home soil.
All Black mind games are tainting the Greatest Rivalry
Louw argues that New Zealand's post-Cape Town scrum complaints are less a technical concern and more a deliberate attempt to shape referee thinking — part of a broader media campaign that has, in her view, tainted the series even as South Africa levelled it with a dominant 33-26 performance.
Kolbe to fullback, Arendse drafted in as Erasmus makes four changes for FNB Stadium decider
Rassie Erasmus has made four changes and one positional switch for Saturday's third Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium, with Cheslin Kolbe moving to fullback for the injured Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse coming onto the wing, and the original starting front row of Nche, Louw and Marx restored.
Erasmus makes four changes for third RGR Test as Kolbe shifts to fullback and Arendse returns
Erasmus names four changes for the third RGR Test at FNB Stadium, with the original starting front row restored and Kurt-Lee Arendse coming in on the wing after Damian Willemse was ruled out injured, while Cheslin Kolbe moves to fullback.
Erasmus welcomes Arendse return as Boks opt for continuity against All Blacks
Rassie Erasmus has made four changes to the Springbok starting XV for Saturday's third Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium, with Kurt-Lee Arendse returning on the wing after missing the Cape Town victory. The head coach emphasised continuity in selection following the 33-26 win that levelled the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series at one match apiece.
Erasmus makes four changes for third Test against All Blacks in Johannesburg
Kurt-Lee Arendse returns to the Springbok starting XV as Rassie Erasmus makes four changes and a positional switch for the third Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Matfield crowns Etzebeth the greatest Springbok of all time
Matfield has labelled Etzebeth the greatest Springbok ever after his standout display in the series-levelling Cape Town win — high praise from someone who held that standard himself.
Five moments that swung the Cape Town Test — and the series
Coetzee identifies the five moments that defined the Boks' Cape Town win — from a two-minute opening try that answered Ellis Park's demons, to Esterhuizen's last-gasp turnover — and argues the real shift was mental: smarter decisions, points banked, adversity absorbed.
Erasmus makes four changes for third RGR Test at FNB Stadium
Erasmus reverts to his original front row and brings in Kurt-Lee Arendse on the wing for the injured Damian Willemse, with Cheslin Kolbe shifting to fullback, as the Boks prepare for Saturday's third RGR Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium.