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Barrett-Theron joins Springbok Women's set-up as scrum focus intensifies ahead of Black Ferns clash
Aimee Barrett-Theron has joined the Springbok Women's training camp to assist with scrum preparation ahead of the series-deciding clash against New Zealand at FNB Stadium, with assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt declaring the side intends to dominate rather than merely compete.
Smit calls Rennie scrum claims 'clever ploy' as Human defends Springbok dominance
Former Springboks captain John Smit has described All Blacks coach Dave Rennie's scrum allegations as a tactical distraction following South Africa's 33-26 victory in Cape Town. The accusations, which prompted an expletive-laden response from Rassie Erasmus, have dominated the build-up to Saturday's series decider in Soweto. Springbok scrum coach Daan Human defended his pack's legality whilst expressing frustration at referee Angus Gardner's handling of the set-piece.
Human rejects All Blacks' walking accusation: 'I can't ever cheat'
Springboks scrum coach Daan Human has rejected Dave Rennie's walking accusation, insisting South Africa have scrummaged legally throughout his six-year tenure and will adapt to referee Nika Amashukeli in Saturday's third Test in Johannesburg.
Smit: Rennie's scrum attack was a deflection — and the third Test is the real series decider
Smit argues Rennie's scrum allegations were a calculated deflection from New Zealand's own scrum-collapse tactics, and tips the Springboks to deliver a standout performance in Soweto — the match he considers the genuine series decider.
Grobbelaar signs long-term Bulls extension through to 2030
Johan Grobbelaar has signed a contract extension with the Bulls keeping him at Loftus Versfeld until 2030, with the Springbok hooker having already clocked over 100 appearances for the franchise since his senior debut in 2017.
Stephen Donald backs Love to hold No.10 jersey for Soweto decider — and praises Rennie's style shift
Stephen Donald backs Love to keep the No.10 jersey for Soweto despite Mo'unga's return, and draws a clear stylistic contrast between the Rennie and Robertson eras — with the All Blacks' tempo-based game the central thread.
Kieran Read: Rassie is the 'absolute king' of working the refs
Read frames Rassie's post-Cape Town noise as calculated ref-influencing rather than genuine outrage, calling him the 'absolute king' of the tactic — and offers a sharp insight into how officials subconsciously treat the world's top teams when 50/50 calls arise.
Grobbelaar signs long-term Bulls extension through to 2030
Johan Grobbelaar has signed a Bulls contract extension through to 2030, locking in one of the franchise's key forwards — and a Springbok squad regular — for the long term.
Grobbelaar signs Bulls extension through to 2030
Johan Grobbelaar has signed a contract extension keeping him at the Bulls until 2030, with the hooker having made more than 100 appearances for the franchise since his 2017 debut.
Mallett praises Feinberg-Mngomezulu for Pollard-like display against All Blacks
Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has lauded Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's performance in the 33-26 victory over New Zealand in Cape Town, saying the young fly-half produced a shift reminiscent of Handré Pollard. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was reinstated as starting ten after Pollard withdrew with a calf injury sustained in training.
Mallett: Feinberg-Mngomezulu silenced his critics with a Pollard-esque Cape Town display
Mallett makes the case that Feinberg-Mngomezulu's Cape Town display — measured, Pollard-like — was exactly the response his critics needed to see. Worth reading for the tactical breakdown of what changed.
Burger's verdict: Boks must fix attack or tighten defence before Soweto decider
Burger credits scoreboard pressure and Marx's impact for the Cape Town win, but warns the Boks' attacking inaccuracy and slow transition shape remain genuine vulnerabilities heading into the Soweto decider — and with New Zealand likely to score 30-plus again, something has to give.
Mallett hails SFM's Pollard-like shift as Matfield calls the maul's return
Mallett credits SFM's disciplined, Pollard-like execution for the Cape Town win, while Matfield argues the Boks' rediscovery of the midfield maul signals a return to their core DNA — and predicts it becomes a fixture going forward.
Why Erasmus backing up the same Bok XV three weeks running isn't the gamble it looks
Rich argues that the low pre-series workload carried by key Boks — through injury, rotation, and a long off-season — makes consecutive starts far less risky than they appear, while the first-test loss effectively removed Erasmus's room to experiment until Baltimore.
Third Test fatigue stakes: Do the Boks' fresher legs give them the edge at altitude?
The piece examines whether the Boks' lighter minute-load this season offsets the All Blacks' superior physical cohesion through two tough tests, with Erasmus's 60-minutes-per-man advantage the key analytical hook heading into the FNB decider.
Randell warns All Blacks and Springboks face career-defining Test in Soweto decider
Former All Blacks captain Taine Randell believes Saturday's third Greatest Rivalry Test at FNB Stadium will be the biggest match many players have featured in. With the series locked at 1-1 after New Zealand's 33-16 win in Johannesburg and South Africa's 33-26 victory in Cape Town, the decider in Soweto carries enormous stakes ahead of the final encounter in Baltimore.
Fatigue or freshness: which camp gets it right at FNB Stadium?
A breakdown of the fatigue equation ahead of the third test — the Boks' 60-minutes-per-man freshness advantage versus the All Blacks' battle-hardened cohesion — and what each camp is gambling on at altitude.
Randell: Soweto decider the biggest Test many of these players will face
Randell argues that near-zero rotation from both coaches makes Saturday's Soweto Test uniquely demanding — the same players absorbing a third week of top-tier intensity, with the series on the line.
Erasmus's team-sheet mind games light up the 'Greatest Rivalry' series
Kitson dissects Erasmus's latest team-announcement mind games — six late changes before the second Test — and what South Africa levelling the series at 1-1 means for the back half of a four-Test showdown with a resurgent All Blacks.
Randell: Soweto decider will be the biggest Test many of these players have faced
Randell argues that the refusal by both coaches to rotate — rare in modern Test rugby — means players arrive at FNB Stadium physically and mentally taxed in a way most have never experienced, making this the highest-stakes game of many of their careers.