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2,958 items · Springboks
Pollard gone, Kolbe back, front-row plan now carrying the night: Cape Town prediction
A granular pre-match breakdown arguing the Boks' Cape Town selections were shaped by chaos (Pollard's late calf injury) rather than strategy, but that rain and Kolbe's return reshape the contest enough to tip a narrow, ugly Springbok win — with the front-row bench now carrying the load the fly-half plan was supposed to share.
Du Toit's 100th cap carries a curse — and Sean Fitzpatrick hopes it holds
Pieter-Steph du Toit's 100th cap against the All Blacks comes loaded with historical baggage — every Springbok centurion who's hit the milestone against New Zealand has lost. The piece tracks that pattern, gets Fitzpatrick's tongue-in-cheek take on it, and covers the late selection shake-up that hands Feinberg-Mngomezulu a Test start.
100 caps of pain, gristle, and greatness: Pieter-Steph du Toit's improbable journey
Nel's tribute to Du Toit's 100th cap goes well beyond celebration — it's a case for his place among the all-time Bok greats, grounded in the near-catastrophic injuries he survived and the relentless consistency that followed.
Boks face watershed moment as Gardner appointment raises scrum battle stakes
The Springboks must win Saturday's second test at DHL Stadium to keep their Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series hopes alive after last week's 33-16 defeat at Ellis Park. The late appointment of Australian referee Angus Gardner has intensified focus on the scrum battle, with All Blacks coach Dave Rennie having lobbied World Rugby over alleged illegalities in South Africa's dominant set-piece display. Thomas du Toit insists the Boks have parked the disappointment and worked swiftly to correct their mistakes.
Rennie goes to World Rugby over Bok scrum — Du Toit unmoved
Rennie escalated his scrum complaints to World Rugby before the Cape Town Test, but Du Toit — drafted onto the bench for this one — was unfazed, insisting the Boks operate within the laws and will back their set-piece to deliver again.
Parker and Carter flag the Bok threat areas ahead of Cape Town decider
Parker and Carter size up the Kolisi-led Bok response ahead of Cape Town — acknowledging what New Zealand got wrong at Ellis Park while flagging the specific physical and aerial threats that will define the weekend.
Cape Town must deliver: Boks back Kolisi's return and error correction to level the series
Rugby365 calls South Africa by three in Cape Town, with the analytical case built around error correction — 21 turnovers undid an otherwise competitive Springbok performance in the first Test — and the impact of Kolisi's return alongside Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at 10.
Owens: Savea dodged a red card by a fraction at Ellis Park
Nigel Owens backs Carley's no-card call on Savea's tackle on Wiese, but says an inch higher and it's a 20-minute red — the whiplash effect, not direct head contact, was the deciding factor.
Built on broken knees and borrowed tendon: Pieter-Steph's road to 100
Brenden Nel marks Du Toit's 100th cap by detailing the two career-saving medical interventions — a father's donated hamstring tendon and emergency surgery to prevent amputation — that make his place among the Springbok greats all the more extraordinary.
Crowley ruled out of November Springbok clash as Ireland flyhalf blow deepens
Jack Crowley has been ruled out of Ireland's November Test against South Africa after Munster confirmed his recovery from a lower limb vascular injury will not be complete until the new year.
Pollard injury scare threatens Springbok plans for Cape Town Test
Handré Pollard is reportedly doubtful for Saturday's second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town after a training calf injury, which would force Rassie Erasmus to turn to either Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu or Manie Libbok at flyhalf. Pieter-Steph du Toit wins his 100th cap, while Siya Kolisi has passed his fitness test to captain the side.
Kolbe returns, Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts as Pollard ruled out for Cape Town Test
Cheslin Kolbe returns to the starting lineup and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu keeps the No 10 jersey as Handré Pollard is ruled out with a hamstring injury for the second Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday. Kurt-Lee Arendse drops out of the squad, Cobus Reinach replaces Grant Williams at scrumhalf, and Manie Libbok shifts to the bench.
Pollard injury cloud over Cape Town Test as du Toit set for century
Handré Pollard is reportedly injured and may miss the Cape Town Test against the All Blacks, while Pieter-Steph du Toit is set to earn his 100th cap and Siya Kolisi has been confirmed fit to captain the side.
Stransky and Brooke inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame
Former Springbok flyhalf Joel Stransky and All Blacks loose forward Zinzan Brooke have become the first of seven modern greats inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame as the class of 2026. The pair, both Rugby World Cup winners on home soil, were honoured at a special dinner in Cape Town ahead of the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand.
Kolbe returns as Pollard injury hands Feinberg-Mngomezulu Cape Town start
Cheslin Kolbe has recovered from the knock that forced him off in Johannesburg and will start against the All Blacks at DHL Stadium on Saturday. Handré Pollard's training niggle opens the door for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf, with Manie Libbok promoted to the replacements bench. Kurt-Lee Arendse drops out of the matchday squad entirely as the Springboks reshuffle their backline for the second Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series Test.
Kolbe returns, Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts as Pollard withdrawal reshapes Bok backline for Cape Town Test
A Handré Pollard injury has forced a reshaped Springbok backline for Saturday's Cape Town Test, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at flyhalf and a fully recovered Cheslin Kolbe returning to the wing in place of Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Stransky and Zinzan Brooke headline World Rugby Hall of Fame class of 2026
Joel Stransky and Zinzan Brooke have been inducted as the first two members of the World Rugby Hall of Fame class of 2026, honoured at a dinner in Cape Town ahead of the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand.
Scrum politics, Gardner's influence, and whether the Boks can rediscover their mojo in Cape Town
Rich's second Test preview weighs the late Gardner appointment — and All Black lobbying over the Bok scrum — against South Africa's ability to mentally reset after Ellis Park. He tips a six-point Bok win if the officiating is straight and the Boks rediscover their clinical edge.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts as Pollard withdraws; Kolbe replaces Arendse for Cape Town test
Pollard withdraws injured, handing Feinberg-Mngomezulu the flyhalf start against the All Blacks in Cape Town, while Kolbe returns fit to replace Arendse.
Rassie Recognised Devlin at the Press Conference — and the All Blacks Are Still Warning About the Scrum
Devlin describes his viral Rassie press-conference moment and makes the case that the All Blacks are far closer to the Springboks than the scoreline suggested, with the scrum battle and Rennie's referee messaging set to define Cape Town.