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Aaron Smith: Don't expect the All Blacks to outrun the Boks
Smith argues that New Zealand's Ellis Park win came from precision homework moves targeting specific defenders in early phases — not tempo or fitness advantage — and warns the All Blacks won't run the Boks off the park in Cape Town, crediting eight years of defensive system-building under Erasmus.
Jalibert leads, SFM cracks the top 3, and three Boks make Planet Rugby's fly-half rankings
Planet Rugby ranks Jalibert #1, with SFM, Pollard, and Libbok all featuring — making South Africa the most represented nation in a list that doubles as a 2027 World Cup 10 debate.
Ardie's fired up for Ellis Park
Savea is talking big ahead of Saturday's Ellis Park clash, framing it as a warrior-versus-warrior contest. The piece explores his mindset going into the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry fixture.
Ardie's fired up for the Ellis Park showdown
Savea is relishing the return of the Boks-All Blacks rivalry at Ellis Park, with the full piece covering his pre-match mindset and what the fixture means to him.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to shine against the Boks at Ellis Park
Stephen Donald flags Josh Moorby as the All Blacks' quietly significant selection for Ellis Park — a player who barely registered at the start of the year but has forced his way in through a career-best Super Rugby campaign and, according to Donald, an X-factor that sets him apart from merely reliable footballers.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to shine against the Boks
Stephen Donald picks apart two surprise All Blacks selections for Ellis Park — Holland's comeback and, more intriguingly, Moorby's rise from journeyman to Test wing, which Donald puts down to an X-factor that simply can't be coached.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to justify surprise All Blacks selection against Boks
Donald flags Moorby and Holland as the two genuine surprises in Rennie's Ellis Park squad, arguing Moorby's X-factor — earned the hard way through a long domestic and overseas journey — has made him impossible to overlook for the Bok series opener.
All Blacks squad winners and losers ahead of Springbok opener
Rennie's squad for the Springbok opener features Ruben Love's biggest career test at 10, Beauden Barrett dropped after 147 caps, Rieko Ioane out of the 23, and three significant injury absentees reshaping the bench.
Hansen: Mo'unga won't displace Love — and here's what the All Blacks must get right against the Boks
Hansen backs Love to hold the 10 jersey and breaks down the selection logic for Ellis Park — scrum size, lineout height, and aerial competence are the non-negotiables if the All Blacks want to compete with the Boks.
Fitzpatrick: All Blacks must get everything right — and catch a break
Fitzpatrick warns the All Blacks must be flawless in discipline and set-piece to win in South Africa, while also flagging the Springboks' attacking threat as underappreciated. He's cautiously confident in Rennie's setup ahead of a series he sees as the ideal World Cup preparation.
Ruben Love on the self-doubt behind his All Blacks rise
Ruben Love opens up on the self-doubt he had to overcome on his way to wearing the All Blacks No 10 ahead of the Ellis Park clash with the Boks.
Fourie tops the tour rankings as Segner and Moorby force their way into All Blacks Test conversation
Deon Fourie tops Planet Rugby's tour player rankings after his Stormers display earned him a Springbok recall, while Anton Segner and Josh Moorby are identified as the All Blacks pressing hardest for Test inclusion ahead of the series.
Refreshed and lighter, Ioane is primed to cause the Boks problems in midfield
Ioane has rediscovered his best form on tour — lighter, faster and shifted to his preferred centre role by Rennie — making him a genuine midfield threat heading into the Test series against the Springboks.
McKenzie doubt clouds All Blacks' first-test XV as Mo'unga held back
Rennie flags real doubt over McKenzie for the Ellis Park test opener while confirming Mo'unga — despite arriving excited — won't be risked until the Lions midweek match. The All Blacks leave Loftus encouraged by scrum improvements but under no illusions about the step up the Boks will demand.
Coetzee reminds Rassie, Barrett finds his groove, and All Blacks scrum makes a statement
Carter's hat-trick cements his Test case, Barrett looks reborn at fullback, and the All Blacks scrum finally fires — but the standout Springbok subplot is Coetzee turning back the clock and planting a thought in Rassie's mind.
McKenzie doubt, Mo'unga eased in: All Blacks' injury picture ahead of Ellis Park
Rennie is quietly optimistic about his squad's tour form but has three injury calls to make, with McKenzie the biggest uncertainty. Mo'unga won't feature in the first Test despite arriving in camp.
Rennie warns his squad: the Boks are a different beast entirely
Rennie has put his squad on notice that the Bulls win was a dress rehearsal — the full piece unpacks what he said about facing the Boks.
Barrett bounces back, but it's the wingers stealing All Blacks headlines before Ellis Park
Planet Rugby's post-match ratings from the Bulls clash double as a pre-Test Bok scouting report — Carter and Moorby have made Rennie's back-three selection a genuine dilemma, Barrett looks revived at fullback, and the All Blacks front row issued a direct scrum warning to the Springboks.
Rennie: Bulls clash still shapes All Blacks Test selection
Rennie has a Test XV in mind but says the Bulls match can still 'tilt' selection — winger depth and the Roigard backup role at nine are the key undecided positions heading into the Greatest Rivalry series.
Rieko in frame for Bok Test after Bulls audition
Rennie is using the Bulls match as a live audition for Rieko Ioane, with Test selection against the Boks the prize — the piece unpacks the case for and against him making the cut.