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Planet Rugby's combined Bok-All Black XV: South Africa dominate, but who makes the cut?
Planet Rugby's combined Bok-All Black XV ahead of the four-Test series gives South Africa nine of fifteen spots, with SFM, Willemse and a Bok-dominated forward pack leading the way — Roigard and Jordie Barrett carry the All Black case.
Rennie's honest assessment: Rassie is 'one of the most innovative coaches in world rugby'
Rennie calls Erasmus one of the game's most innovative coaches ahead of the Greatest Rivalry Series, while framing the four-Test contest as a direct collision between Bok physicality and All Black tempo — with New Zealand's last series win in South Africa now 29 years ago.
Erasmus's selection artistry, the All Blacks' tour squad curiosity, and rugby's discipline problem
Erasmus's 44-man squad assembly is framed as promotional genius, Rennie's bloated touring party signals serious intent, and the piece comes down hard on referee Berry's Jacobson call — leaning on Owens and Doyle to argue the yellow was indefensible and damaging to the game's safety narrative.
NZ pundit's 'legally correct, morally corrupt' dig at Boks ahead of Greatest Rivalry Series
NZ pundit Mark Watson accuses the Boks of 'legally correct but morally corrupt' game-slowing tactics ahead of the Greatest Rivalry Series, while Rennie confirms his staff will brief match officials on the tempo they need — a revealing look at the off-field battle lines being drawn before the series starts.
Rennie's All Blacks are playing catch-up before a ball is kicked in the Test series
Rennie's All Blacks carry a telling experience deficit into South Africa — 59% of the squad haven't toured here this cycle — and Cardinelli breaks down why the warm-up schedule, altitude adjustment and Savea's delayed integration make this a genuine race against the clock before the first Test at Ellis Park.
Sopoaga's warning: Don't sleep on Ruben Love
Sopoaga warns that Ruben Love could be a decisive factor in the four-Test series against the Boks — and that he'll only improve as the series progresses.
Currie Cup Round 2: Faf fires, Griquas roll, and the Stormers XXIII get hammered
Louw spotlights Zak Alexander's hat-trick for Griquas and a dominant Faf de Klerk display for the Cheetahs as the highlights of Currie Cup Round 2, while also defending the competition's continued relevance despite its structural decline — and taking apart a dismal Stormers XXIII performance in the process.
Rennie's All Blacks squad built with the Boks squarely in the crosshairs
Gregor Paul argues Rennie has picked with a clear purpose: dethrone the Springboks now and build a squad capable of sustaining that challenge long-term.
Is Rennie's squad built to dethrone the Boks?
The argument: Rennie's All Blacks squad is built not just to beat the Boks in this series, but to displace them at the top of world rugby — the piece examines whether that selection logic stacks up.
Howarth: All Blacks' defensive leaks 'easily fixed' — but the Boks will expose them if not
Howarth backs the All Blacks' attacking evolution under Rennie but warns their defensive leaks need urgent fixing before the South Africa series — going toe-to-toe with the Bok forwards, he argues, is a losing strategy.
Sopoaga backs Love to handle the Springbok test at 10
Sopoaga endorses Ruben Love as the All Blacks' settled 10 ahead of the Springbok series, arguing he's thriving under Rennie and will only grow the more he plays — a useful read on the threat New Zealand could pose at fly-half.
Seven Boks make Nations Championship XV as All Blacks shut out entirely
Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson's Nations Championship XV features seven Springboks — Willemse, Kolbe, Kriel, Marx, Nortje, Du Toit and Wiese — with no All Blacks selected at all.
Henry's ghost is back: ex-All Black says Rennie has restored what Robertson lost
Howarth argues Rennie has restored the Graham Henry 'freedom to try' philosophy that went missing under Robertson — and that shift alone has transformed the All Blacks from a team playing scared to one worth fearing ahead of the Springbok series.
Du Preez delivers a cold verdict on Mike Phillips: 'Zero per cent record'
Du Preez and Burger revisit the 2009 Lions series on podcast — du Preez with a cold statistical put-down of Phillips, Burger with a classic Bakkies Botha anecdote that's worth reading in full.
Seven Boks make ex-England duo's Nations Championship XV — All Blacks shut out
Youngs and Watson's Nations Championship Team of the Tournament is loaded with Springboks — seven in total — with Willemse, Kolbe, Kriel, Marx, Du Toit, Nortje, and Wiese all making the cut, and no All Black in sight.
Sopoaga: Rennie's greatest coaching weapon isn't tactics — it's connection
Sopoaga identifies Rennie's ability to build genuine human connection — not tactical innovation — as the All Blacks' most important development ahead of the Springbok showdowns, with the squad's Polynesian and Māori makeup making that quality particularly potent.
France the only side with the depth to dethrone the Boks, says Williams
Williams rates France as the only nation with the depth and forward power to seriously challenge the Boks in 2027, while issuing a damning assessment of Ireland's decline and Argentina's post-match conduct.
Mallett's warning: All Blacks are finding form at the right time
Mallett breaks down the All Blacks' Nations Championship campaign — patchy early but sharp against Ireland — and warns that their offload-heavy, momentum-based game will test the Boks' defensive system if Rennie's side maintains those standards into the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
The Bok cuts that sting most ahead of the Argentina series
Papier, Roos, and Mchunu are identified as the unluckiest omissions from the latest Bok squad — Louw makes the case for each while acknowledging the logic behind Erasmus's calls.
Rugby world reacts to Nonu's Sharks signing — and wants him on the park against the All Blacks
Nonu's Sharks signing has been met with widespread approval, centred on the mentorship value for Jurenzo Julius and the delicious possibility of him facing the All Blacks at Kings Park in August.