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2,959 items · Springboks
Alexander calls for RGR tour rethink: drop midweek games, use SA Cup teams against All Blacks
SARU President Mark Alexander says midweek provincial games against the All Blacks don't work and will push for SA Cup or Country Districts composite sides to be used in any future RGR tour, while warning that rugby's failure to agree on a global season remains the sport's most pressing structural problem.
The hunter becomes the hunted: why this Bok-All Black series feels different
Rich argues the Boks enter the RGR series in genuinely unfamiliar territory — as the hunted, not the hunter — and that a series defeat would feel like a burst bubble rather than a noble near-miss. He covers the no-tie-breaker ruling, the Champions Cup vs Super Rugby quality gap, and draws on the 1992 tour to frame South Africa's own past insularity against what he sees as a similar blind spot in New Zealand now.
Kieran Read flags Argentina's blueprint as a Bok-beater for the All Blacks
Read points to Argentina's Buenos Aires performance as a potential blueprint for cracking the Springboks' rush defence — the piece unpacks what that means for the All Blacks.
Kieran Read flags Argentina's blueprint as a Bok defensive cheat code for the All Blacks
Read identifies Argentina's Buenos Aires game plan as a potential roadmap for dismantling the Boks' rush defence — the piece breaks down the tactical specifics.
Wiese tops Planet Rugby's number eight rankings, with Hanekom also making the cut
Wiese tops Planet Rugby's global eight rankings on the strength of his gainline dominance, with Hanekom at nine after a breakthrough Rugby Championship. The full piece ranks all 10 with detailed statistical and analytical breakdowns.
Rassie flags All Black breakdown brutality as primary Test concern
Erasmus singles out All Black breakdown brutality and their kick-from-phases combo as the Boks' biggest concern heading into Saturday's Ellis Park opener, while flagging set-piece surprises Rennie held back during the Nations Championship.
From the Invincibles to Paris: Five matches that define rugby's greatest rivalry
Jan de Koning profiles five landmark Springbok–All Black clashes to frame the start of Saturday's Rugby Championship series at Ellis Park — tracing the rivalry's historical arc and noting how decisively it has swung toward South Africa since 2018.
Teichmann tips 3-1 Bok series win — and he knows what's at stake
Teichmann, who captained the Boks in the famous 1996 series loss, picks South Africa to win the upcoming four-Test Greatest Rugby Rivalry series 3-1, citing Erasmus's squad depth as the decisive edge over the side that handed him one of his biggest career disappointments.
The hunter becomes the hunted: why this Bok-AB series feels different
Gavin Rich argues the Boks enter the RGR series as the hunted rather than the hunters — and that losing to New Zealand now carries far heavier psychological weight than it once did, with Super Rugby insularity potentially working against the Kiwis the way isolation once hurt South Africa.
Kirwan accuses Erasmus of instructing franchises to avoid Springbok tactics
Former All Blacks wing John Kirwan has claimed Rassie Erasmus told South African provincial sides to play nothing like the Springboks during New Zealand's tour matches. The All Blacks legend suggested the directive was designed to deny the tourists proper preparation ahead of the Test series.
Alexander wants midweek games axed and composite teams introduced if SA hosts RGR Tour again
SARU President Mark Alexander wants midweek provincial games scrapped and composite teams introduced if South Africa hosts another RGR Tour, citing a 14,000-crowd in Durban and poor Lions ticket sales as evidence that the current format does not work outside of Test weekends.
Kirwan's conspiracy: Did Erasmus instruct franchises to play nothing like the Boks?
Kirwan claims Erasmus quietly instructed franchises to abandon Springbok-style play, leaving the All Blacks underprepared for the Test series. Matfield disagrees on both the conspiracy and the crowd disappointment.
Kool-Aid and Mafia Dons: NZ pundit fires back at Rassie's pre-Test mind games
NZ pundit Scotty Stevenson argues Rassie's pre-Test referee pressure campaign — including deploying Peyper at the presser — has unfairly put Matthew Carley at the centre of the week's narrative and amounts to fanbase weaponisation, whatever its tactical brilliance.
Marx vs Taylor: A decade of dominance meets its ultimate test at Ellis Park
A breakdown of the Marx-Taylor hooker rivalry ahead of Ellis Park, contrasting their styles and assessing what their duel could mean for how the Test unfolds — particularly at scrum time and the breakdown.
Fitzpatrick: No margin for error if All Blacks want to win in South Africa
Fitzpatrick warns the current All Blacks must be near-flawless to match his 1996 side's series win in South Africa — the full piece unpacks his specific thinking.
The Incomparables: How the 1996 All Blacks achieved what no touring side had done before — and why it still matters
The Ruck's series on the All Blacks–Springboks rivalry reaches the 1996 tour, with Hart, Jones, Fitzpatrick and Stransky offering first-hand accounts of the test series many regard as the pinnacle of New Zealand rugby achievement.
All Blacks must get everything right to beat Springboks, says Fitzpatrick
Sean Fitzpatrick, captain of the only New Zealand side to win a Test series in South Africa, warned the current All Blacks must produce a near-flawless performance to match that feat when the four-Test series begins at Ellis Park on Saturday. The 1987 World Cup winner said discipline and execution would be critical against the world champions.
Magnetic two-piece trophy unveiled for Springboks–All Blacks series
SA Rugby and New Zealand Rugby have revealed a world-first trophy for the four-Test Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, which begins on Saturday. The trophy comprises two halves held together by magnetism, with each nation retaining one piece should the series be drawn.
Fitzpatrick: All Blacks can't afford a single mistake against the Boks
Fitzpatrick rates this Bok squad as the complete package and warns that New Zealand must get everything right — discipline, scrum, execution — to have any chance in a series that carries serious World Cup implications for Rennie's team.
Five things the All Blacks must get right at Ellis Park
A detailed tactical breakdown of what New Zealand must do differently at Ellis Park — covering the bench scrum problem, the aerial contest, breakdown discipline, defensive entry denial, and the slow-start pattern that won't survive Springbok intensity.