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2,959 items · Springboks
Rob Louw: The flour-bomb plane changed the 1981 series — and opened South African eyes
Rob Louw recalls how the flour-bomb protest plane disrupted the decisive 1981 Test at Eden Park, and argues the tour's political fallout helped shift South African attitudes toward apartheid.
Fifty years without a series win: the weight of history on the Boks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry
Gavin Rich maps the 50-year series drought the Boks carry into the Greatest Rivalry Series, tracing every official and unofficial series since 1976, the refereeing controversies woven through each, and why no Rugby Championship win fills the gap.
Dagg warming to Rassie while Stevenson calls out the 'strawman'
Israel Dagg says he's warming to Erasmus's media approach, but co-host Scotty Stevenson argues the Peyper press conference was a calculated strawman — deflecting from legitimate questions about in-play slowing tactics onto a set-piece timing argument the Boks could easily defend.
Kirwan accuses Rassie of running a provincial-level honeytrap for the All Blacks
Kirwan claims Erasmus instructed SA provincial sides to deliberately avoid playing Springbok-style rugby against the All Blacks — effectively using warm-up matches as a deception operation ahead of the Test series.
Donald sees subtle All Blacks adjustments ahead of Ellis Park opener
Donald identifies subtle attacking adjustments New Zealand have made ahead of the Ellis Park clash — the piece analyses whether it amounts to a genuine plan B against the Bok defence.
Williams eyes bragging rights over All Blacks-supporting family at Ellis Park
Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams says facing the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday carries extra personal motivation, with close family members and his wider community backing New Zealand — an allegiance rooted in the apartheid era that remains strong in parts of South Africa.
Boland target De Klerk as defensive priority ahead of Cheetahs clash
Boland have sharpened their defensive focus on Faf de Klerk ahead of their Currie Cup trip to face the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Hansen: Don't believe a word Rassie says — that's exactly what he wants
Steve Hansen breaks down Rassie Erasmus's pre-series media strategy ahead of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry opener, warning that whatever Erasmus says publicly is designed to send you the wrong way — and that the tempo-and-time-wasting debate dominating the build-up is exactly the kind of narrative Erasmus wants everyone chasing.
Rassie opens the mind games early — and brings Peyper to back him up
Erasmus used a media briefing to dismantle the 'Boks slow the game' narrative, bringing in Jaco Peyper to walk through the actual set-piece laws — framing the accusation as a misreading of the rulebook rather than a tactical concession. Kolisi and Nche are the only fitness concerns ahead of a deliberately delayed Thursday team announcement.
Stransky, Madiba magic and the last convulsions of a dying order: The Ruck traces the road to 1995
The Ruck traces South Africa's readmission to international rugby through to the 1995 World Cup final, with Stransky, Fitzpatrick and historians unpacking the political stakes and the Madiba magic that made Ellis Park unforgettable.
Marx: 'We're not just representing ourselves' ahead of All Blacks opener
Malcolm Marx says the Springboks cannot lean on last year's Wellington win as they prepare for Saturday's RGR series opener against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, with Rassie Erasmus set to name his matchday team on Thursday.
Five Tests That Define the Modern Springbok-All Black Rivalry
A match-by-match look at the last five Bok-All Black Tests — from the 2023 World Cup final to last year's Ellis Park fightback — setting the historical context for this weekend's first Test of a four-match series.
Foley identifies an All Blacks vulnerability the Boks can exploit
Foley believes the All Blacks have exposed a clear vulnerability ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park — the linked piece details what he's spotted and why it matters for the Boks.
The first 20 minutes at Ellis Park could define the series
A decade of head-to-head data shows the team that controls the first 20 minutes at Ellis Park on Saturday holds a decisive edge — and the Boks know it, with Felix Jones confirming the Australia implosion has sharpened their thinking on game management.
Jones reveals franchise intel shaping Springbok prep for All Blacks
Felix Jones says regular contact with South Africa's franchise coaches has reinforced the Springboks' read on the All Blacks, with maul conversion near the line and lineout-related officiating emerging as the key shared frustrations from recent franchise encounters against New Zealand.
Umaga warns All Blacks of 'relentless wave' from Springbok pack at Ellis Park
All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga has acknowledged the challenge his side will face from the Springboks' powerful pack when the teams meet at Ellis Park on Saturday. The former New Zealand captain also warned that South Africa's attacking game has evolved beyond their traditional set-piece dominance.
All Blacks legend claims Springboks 'undercooked' ahead of Ellis Park Test
Former New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall believes the Springboks will enter Saturday's opening Test at Ellis Park lacking match sharpness compared to the All Blacks. Marshall suggested South Africa's conservative approach against Argentina was designed to conceal tactics whilst giving returning players minutes, but warned the hosts must sharpen up considerably to compete.
Marshall: All Blacks arrive sharper, but Read isn't buying the 'undercooked' Bok narrative
Marshall argues the All Blacks head into Ellis Park better prepared and better acclimatised, reading the Argentina game as deliberate obfuscation by Erasmus at the cost of match sharpness. Read agrees on the tactical blueprint — attack the edges, gas the forwards — but is less convinced that low minutes will actually hurt a squad this experienced.
Umaga: Boks have evolved beyond set-piece — All Blacks must be ready for everything
Umaga warns the All Blacks can't fixate on Bok set-piece — South Africa's attacking evolution makes them a multi-dimensional threat, and New Zealand will need to impose their own game rather than simply contain Erasmus's systems.
Rassie vs Rennie: A clash of coaching philosophies
Van der Berg pits Erasmus's disruptive system-building against Rennie's inherited All Blacks structure, arguing the Bok-All Black rivalry is as much a coaching philosophy clash as a on-field contest.