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Kolisi's Stormers return a quiet one as lineout meltdown sinks Cape side
Planet Rugby's Edinburgh ratings dissect a Stormers defeat built on lineout dysfunction — Venter's early HIA exit and Paulo's wayward throws are identified as the critical fault lines, leaving Kolisi's comeback and the attack starved of platform.
Stormers' lineout chaos hands Edinburgh a second straight win — but reinforcements are coming
Edinburgh's 17-13 win hinged on a shattered Stormers lineout — Venter's HIA-forced exit proved the real turning point — but the piece argues the Capetonians are far from in crisis, with a large Springbok contingent set to return for the Sharks derby and Champions Cup push.
Kolisi's Stormers return underwhelms as lineout woes sink the Cape side
A lineout that fell apart after Venter's HIA proved decisive, with Paulo's throwing singled out as the chief culprit. Kolisi's second Stormers debut was quietly adequate rather than impactful — a reflection of a team that couldn't give their backrowers anything to work with.
Kolisi's long-haul detour tells the Stormers everything they need to know
Kolisi's decision to take the long way from Perth to Galway rather than sit out the week at home has made a strong impression on the Stormers squad — Dayimani and Hlungwani explain why the gesture matters as much as anything he'll do on the field.
Os du Randt on silencing the gremlins in his comeback mind
Os du Randt reflects on the internal battle that came with returning to Test rugby, and why winning over the Bok changeroom was the key to silencing his self-doubt.
Ben Smith: Brown's aerial chess game was the Springboks' series-winning edge
Ben Smith credits Tony Brown's tactical manipulation of the aerial battle as the decisive factor in South Africa's series win, arguing that Brown's ability to shift kick placement negated New Zealand's counter-adjustments and that the Boks' high-ball dominance — like their set-piece — is a systemised weapon that is brutally hard to defend under pressure.
Rest or go for glory? Rassie's November selection dilemma unpacked
Brendan Nel unpacks whether Rassie should rotate for the November Tests against Italy, France and Ireland — arguing the Nations Championship format actually creates space to test depth players without surrendering realistic trophy ambitions, while identifying back-up hooker and fullback as the positions most urgently needing answers before the World Cup.
Dobson's Springbok management plan: rest for most, but Kolisi straight in
Dobson explains why Kolisi went straight on tour while most other Stormers Boks got a week off — and what he actually expects Kolisi to contribute on the field.
Ben Smith: Tony Brown turned the aerial battle into a chess match the All Blacks couldn't win
Ben Smith pinpoints Tony Brown's tactical manipulation of the aerial battle as the decisive edge in South Africa's series win, arguing the Boks didn't just dominate under the high ball — they systematically moved the contest to spaces the All Blacks couldn't defend.
High risk, high reward: Why the Bok defence isn't broken
Gold and Foote argue the Bok defence isn't broken — the points being conceded are a calculated cost of running a high-pressure line-speed system, and forcing opposition errors to feed the scrum is a deliberate design choice, not a flaw.
Moyo backs himself to run the Sharks against Leinster
Moyo talks through his mindset ahead of the Leinster clash — internal standards, mentorship from Hendrikse and Masuku, and what Esterhuizen's return means for him at No.10.
Dobson: Kolisi's presence felt — now comes the rugby
Dobson praises Kolisi's immediate impact on the Stormers' environment but flags that his rugby contribution is what the team needs when they face Edinburgh.
Bosch back in SA, eyeing a Bok recall — and he believes his best is good enough
Bosch returns from Brive mentally refreshed and eyeing a Bok recall, arguing the creative freedom he rediscovered in France — combined with accumulated experience — makes his best good enough to compete at Test level.
Gold: Perth loss is a 'good thing' — but the plan B question lingers
Gold and Foote both shrug off the Perth defeat as useful squad intelligence gathered with a rotated XV — but Gold flags a deeper concern: the Boks' plan A remains world-class, yet opponents are increasingly able to neutralise it for long stretches, making a credible plan B the real pre-World Cup development priority.
World Cup 2027 power rankings: Boks lead, but how does the rest stack up?
The Guardian's pre-World Cup power rankings put the Boks at the summit despite the Australia defeat, citing their depth and the series win over the All Blacks as the defining evidence — the full piece ranks all 24 nations.
World Cup 2027 power rankings: Boks lead, but who's closing the gap?
Meagher's pre-World Cup power rankings put the Boks on top despite a late-season blip against Australia, with the 3-1 series win over New Zealand the key credential. The full piece assesses all 24 nations.
Ahmed's Edinburgh audition: building a case for the Stormers' deputy 10 role
Matthee's ankle injury gives Yaqeen Ahmed a start at 10 against Edinburgh — the piece makes the case that it's a genuine opportunity to lock down the Stormers' deputy flyhalf role for when Feinberg-Mngomezulu is unavailable.
Boks head to RWC2027 as favourites — with a target to match
One year out from RWC2027, the Boks enter as favourites and world number one — but the expanded 24-team format sets up a potential quarter-final against the All Blacks before anyone reaches the final. The piece maps the full draw, format changes, and contender landscape.
Ahmed's Edinburgh audition: building a case for the Stormers' backup flyhalf chair
Matthee's ankle injury hands Yaqeen Ahmed a start against Edinburgh — Louw argues it's the young flyhalf's best opportunity yet to lock down the Stormers' backup No.10 role that opens up whenever Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on Bok duty.
Perth wasn't a failed gamble — and some Bok fans still don't get how Rassie thinks
Gavin Rich pushes back hard on the Perth panic, arguing the defeat was the predictable outcome of a deliberate rotation experiment rather than evidence of a cracked Bok code — and draws on the Loftus-Scotland game to show Rassie's methodology hasn't changed, only the result has.