Every story on the wire.
3,991 items
Rassie's rotation gamble cost the Boks in Johannesburg — but the catch-22 gets worse before Cape Town
Rich argues the Ellis Park loss was primarily a consequence of Erasmus's rotation policy leaving the Boks short on cohesion — not a reflection of forward dominance lost — and unpacks the genuine selection dilemma Erasmus now faces for Cape Town: stick with a team that's finally gelled, or honour the depth plan for a potentially decisive Soccer City finale.
Louw backs Boks to recover from Ellis Park defeat despite clinical failings
Tighthead prop Wilco Louw remained confident the Springboks can still claim the four-match series against New Zealand despite their 16-33 defeat at Ellis Park. Louw, whose scrum dominated for 55 minutes, acknowledged the All Blacks' clinical edge but insisted the Boks have the belief to improve.
Louw: Scrum pressure means nothing without points on the board
Louw flags that the Boks' scrum dominance in the first Test is a platform, not a result — the focus now is converting that pressure into points in Cape Town.
Louw backs Boks to recover as Erasmus details cascade of disruption in Ellis Park defeat
Wilco Louw believes the Springboks can still win the series despite the 16-33 loss to New Zealand at Ellis Park, where the SA scrum was dominant for 55 minutes. Rassie Erasmus detailed how Kurt-Lee Arendse's early injury triggered a positional cascade that undermined his game plan, while Jesse Kriel attributed the defeat primarily to New Zealand's clinical finishing.
All Blacks call up Tu'ungafasi and Hannah after head-clash injuries
New Zealand have summoned prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi and lock Jamie Hannah to South Africa following head injuries to Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord during Saturday's 33-16 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park. Both players left the field in the 37th minute after clashing heads at a ruck and will miss Tuesday's fixture against the Emirates Lions. The call-ups extend a mounting injury crisis that has already seen four players sent home from the tour.
Kolisi set to return for Cape Town Test as Erasmus delivers blunt Ellis Park verdict
Siya Kolisi is set to return for the Cape Town Test next Saturday, with Rassie Erasmus delivering a candid post-mortem on the Ellis Park defeat — citing the All Blacks' red-zone defensive tactics as something the Boks were not equipped to handle.
Segner hospitalised as Rennie flags 'something brewing' with All Blacks loose forward
Anton Segner has been hospitalised for further assessment of what was initially diagnosed as acute inflammatory arthritis, with All Blacks coach Dave Rennie warning 'something is brewing' around the loose forward's condition. De Groot and Lord are ruled out of the Cape Town Test after concussion, with Tu'ungafasi and Hannah called up as cover.
Mallett makes the case for Morné at nine against the All Blacks
Mallett argues Morné van den Berg is underrated and makes the case for a halfback pairing that can convert Springbok forward dominance into wins against the All Blacks in Cape Town.
Ex-All Black defends Carley's Savea call — and explains why it was the match's turning point
Ant Strachan argues Matthew Carley's decision not to card Savea was correct by law — and that the 'double whammy' swing (Savea reprieved, Van Staden and Reinach binned in quick succession) was the moment the match was decided, with 15 vs 13 ending any realistic Bok comeback.
Dominant on paper, beaten by 17: the breakdown mechanics that cost the Boks
South Africa won the penalties, territory and scrum at Ellis Park and lost by 17. This forensic breakdown explains how — through a 78% defensive completion rate, 23 turnovers, 4.4-second ruck speed that handed New Zealand's strip tactic its ideal conditions, and a cluster of critical errors in the final quarter — and what needs to change mechanically before Cape Town.
Boks caught off guard by All Blacks' tactics in Ellis Park loss
Erasmus and Du Toit admit the Boks were tactically caught out — New Zealand's stripping game, breakdown intensity and 22-defence were better than anticipated, and the Boks' territorial dominance counted for nothing without the points to show for it.
De Klerk masterclass sends Cheetahs to home semifinal
A man-of-the-match Faf de Klerk inspired the Toyota Cheetahs to a 33-24 Currie Cup win over the Boland Kavaliers in Bloemfontein, securing the Cheetahs a home semifinal and moving them level with Griquas at the top of the table ahead of the final round.
Leaving Pollard on the bench cost the Boks dearly — and Erasmus already knew it
The piece argues Erasmus had ample prior evidence — Buenos Aires, Cape Town 2024 — that Pollard is irreplaceable as a game-manager in high-stakes Tests, and that leaving him out of the Ellis Park matchday squad was an avoidable error that directly contributed to a tactically disorganised Bok performance against a razor-sharp All Blacks side.
Erasmus and Du Toit: We were outfoxed, not unlucky
Erasmus and Du Toit admit the Boks were caught off-guard by an All Blacks gameplan built around tackle-stripping and breakdown intensity — and Erasmus is clear this isn't about learning lessons, it's about a team that knew what was needed and didn't do it.
Kolisi set to return for Cape Town Test as Kolbe and Arendse face fitness checks
Rassie Erasmus has confirmed Siya Kolisi is set to return for next weekend's Test in Cape Town after being managed through the Ellis Park defeat, while Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse both face fitness assessments following their early exits from Saturday's 33-16 loss to the All Blacks.
Kriel: Three Tests, knockout rugby, and belief the series isn't gone
Kriel argues the Boks can still win the Greatest Rivalry series 3-1, framing the remaining Tests as knockout rugby — while acknowledging New Zealand's clinical edge at Ellis Park was the decisive difference.
Rennie wary of Springbok backlash after All Blacks grind out Ellis Park win
Dave Rennie has cautioned against complacency after the All Blacks beat the Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park, warning that the scoreline flattered his side and that a Springbok backlash awaits in Cape Town next weekend.
Erasmus breaks down the cascade of chaos that unravelled the Bomb Squad
Erasmus unpacks a night where injuries and yellow cards cascaded into tactical chaos, while both he and Du Toit credit the All Blacks' ball-stripping gameplan — not Bok sloppiness alone — as the decisive difference.
Two Cents: Rennie's blueprint fooled everyone — even him
Mark from Two Cents Rugby argues that Dave Rennie's deliberate tactical deception — hiding a kick-heavy game plan behind ball-in-hand warm-up performances — was the decisive factor in the All Blacks' game-one win, and that a Springbok bounce-back in Cape Town is close to inevitable given the handling errors were not all unforced.
Kriel calls for clinical edge ahead of Cape Town rematch
Jesse Kriel, capped for the 91st time, says the Springboks must be more clinical after their 33-16 defeat to the All Blacks in Johannesburg, with the second series match at DHL Stadium in Cape Town set for next Saturday.