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2,959 items · Springboks
Reinach and Erasmus admit Boks need a new plan for Cape Town
Reinach and Erasmus both point to self-inflicted errors — at the breakdown and in the coaching box — as the root of the Ellis Park loss, with Erasmus openly admitting to over-analysis and poor substitution timing. Rennie is braced for a forward war in Cape Town.
All Blacks braced for Springbok backlash
Rennie has beefed up the All Blacks pack specifically to counter an expected Springbok backlash — the piece looks at how New Zealand are adjusting their forward strategy for the second Test.
Amashukeli illness forces referee reshuffle for Tests Two and Three
Nika Amashukeli's illness has seen Angus Gardner promoted to referee for Test Two in Cape Town, with the Georgian official rescheduled to take charge of Test Three in Johannesburg on 5 September.
Skinstad: 'A bump in the road, not a derailment' — but the Boks need to be smarter
Skinstad delivers a balanced but unsparing take on the Ellis Park loss — wrong game plan, questionable decisions, possible complacency — while arguing the age concerns are overstated and the World Cup target remains realistic. He also speaks candidly about the death of young Béziers prop Luqobo Makwedini, which has given him a broader perspective on sporting setbacks.
Reinach: All Blacks targeted our breakdowns, not our 9s
Cobus Reinach says New Zealand's game plan targeted the Springboks' breakdown rather than their scrumhalves specifically, and that the resulting pressure directly caused his yellow card in the first Test defeat at Ellis Park.
Gardner steps in as Cape Town Test referee after Amashukeli ruled out ill
Angus Gardner replaces the ill Nika Amashukeli as referee for the Springboks vs All Blacks second Test in Cape Town, with Amashukeli still scheduled to take charge of the third Test in Johannesburg on 5 September.
All Blacks make five changes for Cape Town Test against Springboks
New Zealand have named five changes for Saturday's second Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks in Cape Town, with George Bower replacing the HIA-affected Ethan de Groot and Leroy Carter moving into the starting backline.
Red-zone profligacy exposes Springboks' blunt edge against All Blacks
The Springboks' 16-33 defeat to New Zealand at Ellis Park laid bare a worrying inability to convert territorial dominance into points. South Africa entered the opposition 22 ten times but managed just 0.7 points per visit—the first time they have fallen below the one-point threshold in over two years. Former Bok flyhalf Joel Stransky described the loss as a "massive blow" but believes it may prove the wake-up call Rassie Erasmus' side needed ahead of Saturday's second Test in Cape Town.
England legends back Carley — and say more refs should follow his lead
Cole and Youngs give Carley a standing ovation for his Ellis Park performance, arguing his refusal to be influenced by the pre-match Springbok narrative — and his willingness to overrule his own TMO — is the template elite refereeing should follow.
Stransky: Ellis Park loss was a shock — but maybe the wake-up call the Boks needed
Stransky argues the Boks had more than enough early-game control to win at Ellis Park but were tactically conservative and failed to convert dominance into points — leaving the All Blacks to punish them clinically. His breakdown of where the game was lost makes for useful reading before the Cape Town Test.
Red-zone conversion collapse: the stat that explains the Ellis Park defeat
A damning Opta stat sits at the heart of this breakdown: the Boks' 0.7 points per red-zone entry at Ellis Park is one of only three sub-one-point showings in 66 Tests since 2020 — and they lost both previous instances too. The piece connects individual errors, turnover count, and a blunt attacking edge to explain how territorial dominance produced almost nothing.
Aaron Smith: Why the 9 role is harder than ever — and what Dupont started
Aaron Smith argues evolving defensive structures at the breakdown have made the 9 role significantly harder, credits Dupont with forcing a positional reinvention, and gives a candid take on how Roigard exposed the Springboks' half-back pairing in the recent Test.
Marshall: 'Micro moments' won it for the All Blacks, not dominance
Justin Marshall argues the 33-16 scoreline flatters the All Blacks — the Boks dominated possession and territory but lost three critical micro-moments, including Barrett's 'Hand of God' on Malcolm Marx, that swung the game irreversibly.
Rassie, Davids and Stick on the Cape Town All Blacks test
Erasmus, Davids and Stick unpack the challenge and atmosphere of hosting the All Blacks in Cape Town in the latest Rassie on Alles episode.
Rassie's steady hand isn't panic — it's the opposite
Gavin Rich argues Rassie's decision to retain the bulk of his squad for Cape Town is the opposite of panic — it's an endorsement of what the Boks actually produced at Ellis Park. He frames Rassie's repeated media appearances as deliberate player shielding in the Divvy mould, and uses the Lions' performance against the All Blacks as a corrective to the narrative that SA franchise rugby has been exposed by the tour.
The All Blacks' 'slow poison' is now their trick — and the Boks need an antidote
Across all five tour matches, New Zealand have shown a consistent ability to break South African teams with late, high-intensity finishes — a trait historically associated with the Boks themselves. De Koning argues that if the Springboks lose focus again in Cape Town, the consequences will be identical to Ellis Park.
Biggar says Boks were too passive — time to pull the trigger in Cape Town
Biggar's post-first-Test verdict is that the All Blacks exposed a passive Springbok performance — and he's urging a more aggressive approach in Cape Town.
Blackadder stakes claim for Bok Test after Lions masterclass
Ethan Blackadder delivered a commanding performance in the All Blacks' 41-35 comeback win over the Lions at Ellis Park, finishing with 16 carries, two tries and 70 metres gained. The 31-year-old loose forward, who missed the opening Test against the Springboks, has given head coach Dave Rennie a significant selection dilemma ahead of Saturday's second Test in Cape Town. With Josh Lord ruled out through concussion, Blackadder could force his way into the matchday squad for the DHL Stadium encounter.
Du Toit reaches century as Boks seek lessons from Ellis Park defeat
Pieter-Steph du Toit will earn his 100th Test cap when the Springboks face New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday, with the hosts determined to level the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series after their 33-16 opening defeat in Johannesburg. Cobus Reinach said the side had identified clear areas for improvement at the breakdown, while the return of Siya Kolisi adds leadership experience to a side under pressure to respond.
Biggar breaks down the 'big difference' that decided Ellis Park
Biggar's breakdown pinpoints 22-entry efficiency as the decisive margin — the All Blacks scored five tries from their visits, the Boks one — and argues that New Zealand's breakdown disruption and defensive line density neutralised exactly the attacking patterns that have made this Springbok side so dominant.