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2,959 items · Springboks
All Blacks capitalise on Bok inaccuracy to take series lead at Ellis Park
The All Blacks won 33-16 at Ellis Park to take a 1-0 lead in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, capitalising on Bok inaccuracy and a dropped Malcolm Marx try in the first half to claim an upset result despite the Springboks dominating the physical contest.
All Blacks player ratings: Jordan and Jordie the difference-makers as Boks pay for second-half fade
Jordan and Barrett carried the All Blacks to a 33-16 win, but the scrum was a genuine weak point — Planet Rugby's ratings break down where Rennie's big calls paid off and where the Boks inflicted real damage.
Scrum dominance means nothing if you can't finish: Five takeaways from Ellis Park
Ellis Park delivered atmosphere and scrum carnage, but the Boks' inability to convert 22-metre dominance into points — 1.1 points per entry vs New Zealand's 4.3 — was the real story of a 33-16 defeat. Full breakdown of the tactical and physical toll across both squads.
All Blacks put five tries past Springboks to claim first Test at Ellis Park
New Zealand beat South Africa 33-16 in the first Test at Ellis Park, with Will Jordan scoring twice as the All Blacks ran in five tries to claim their first win at the venue since 2022.
All Blacks win first Test at Ellis Park 33-16
New Zealand defeated South Africa 33-16 at Ellis Park in the opening Test of their four-match series.
All Blacks run in five tries to take first Test at Ellis Park
The All Blacks came from behind to beat the Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park, scoring five tries to one to lead the series 1-0.
Springboks lead All Blacks 13-12 at half-time in Johannesburg
The Springboks lead the All Blacks 13-12 at half-time in Johannesburg, with Cheslin Kolbe contributing a try conversion and two penalty goals and Andre Esterhuizen crossing for the Boks' only try despite New Zealand scoring twice through Will Jordan and Josh Moorby.
Springboks host All Blacks in Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park
South Africa host New Zealand at Ellis Park in the opening Test of a four-match Rugby Championship series, with the all-time head-to-head at 63-43 in favour of the All Blacks but the Boks holding a 10-6 advantage at the Johannesburg venue.
Vermeulen: Rassie has gone from physically intense to psychologically ruthless
Vermeulen gives a candid 20-year read on Erasmus's evolution — from physically disruptive training presence to surgical psychological operator — with De Villiers adding that nothing Rassie says or does is accidental.
Du Toit to captain Boks against All Blacks as Kolisi ruled out with hamstring injury
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the Springboks against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday after Rassie Erasmus took a precautionary decision to rest Siya Kolisi, who is carrying a hamstring injury. It will be Du Toit's first Test as captain against New Zealand, with South Africa having won five of their last six meetings with the All Blacks.
Kolbe on broken ribs, All Black fans in the family, and why he's finally coming home
Kolbe opens up ahead of the All Blacks Test on the Francois Steyn hit that may have cracked his ribs, his favourite tries, the All Black fans still in his family circle, and why coming home to Cape Town was finally the right call.
Why the Bomb Squad's absence changes everything — and why Planet Rugby is calling an All Blacks upset at Ellis Park
Planet Rugby flips its prediction from a nine-point Bok win to an eight-point All Blacks upset, with Erasmus's shock 5-3 bench the decisive factor — stripping out the fourth-quarter front-row advantage that has defined Springbok series dominance for years.
Roigard flags Williams and Reinach as genuine threats ahead of Ellis Park Test
Roigard previews the Ellis Park Test with a frank assessment of Williams and Reinach — their speed, ruck threat, and kicking platform — while revealing the All Blacks have a specific plan to neutralise the Bok box-kick. He believes adaptability on the night will be the deciding factor.
All Blacks lose Segner to inflammatory arthritis ahead of Ellis Park test
Anton Segner is out of Saturday's Springbok-All Blacks clash at Ellis Park with acute inflammatory arthritis, replaced on the bench by Simon Parker.
Five All Blacks who could shape the Ellis Park Test
Rugby365 profiles the five All Blacks most likely to shape Saturday's Ellis Park Test — Love, Jordie Barrett, Moorby, Roigard and De Groot — weighing their threats against specific Springbok match-ups and the unknowns each brings into the fixture.
De Villiers gets his All Blacks baptism — and the coaches back him to deliver
With Kolisi out again, De Villiers starts against the All Blacks at Ellis Park for just his fourth cap. Erasmus and Stick give an unusually candid read of the challenge ahead — and explain why they back him regardless.
Ellis Park opener: Everything on the line for the All Blacks, just the beginning for the Boks
Keohane argues the All Blacks need this first Test far more than the Boks do, frames the New Zealand 'stop-start' critique of South Africa as lazy, and predicts the 2024 Ellis Park narrative — All Blacks fast start, Bok bench the difference — will repeat on Saturday.
Rassie's RGR gamble: Winning game three, not game one
Erasmus has publicly framed the RGR Series as a depth and fitness contest rather than a game-by-game battle, deliberately holding back Kolisi, Mostert, and De Jager while pointing to a significant playing-minutes advantage over the All Blacks as the series edge he's banking on.
Springboks and All Blacks open four-Test series at Ellis Park
South Africa and New Zealand begin a month-long, four-match tour on Saturday at Ellis Park — the first traditional series between the sides in three decades. Rassie Erasmus has dismissed suggestions the Springboks deliberately slow games down, responding to All Blacks coach Scott Robertson's emphasis on tempo and speed. The world champions hold a recent edge in the rivalry, having won four of the last seven encounters.
Du Toit to captain Springboks as Kolisi sits out Ellis Park opener
Pieter-Steph du Toit will lead the Springboks against New Zealand at Ellis Park on Saturday after Siya Kolisi was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Rassie Erasmus confirmed the decision was precautionary, with the captain fit to train but not risked for the opening Test of the four-match Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. Du Toit earns his first captaincy against the All Blacks as South Africa defend both their fortress and their world number one ranking.