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Why the Boks, All Blacks and France have moved beyond positions — and England haven't
A sharp analytical piece arguing the world's top three sides have ditched positional orthodoxy entirely — selecting skill-set blends and assigning numbers afterwards — while England remain trapped in a specialist-filing-system mindset despite having the raw material to do otherwise.
Nations Championship Southern Series awards: Boks take top honours, but the chaos belongs to everyone else
South Africa sweep the major series awards — Erasmus, du Toit, and debutant de Villiers lead the way — but the wider piece is an entertaining tour through the Southern Series' defining moments: Argentina's extraordinary five-day stretch across two sports, Italy's governance implosion, a tracksuit red card, Henry Pollock shushing Buenos Aires, and Fiji's ingenious financial play.
Cobus Wiese the standout Bok as ex-All Black rates Nations Championship performers
Parsons names Cobus Wiese his Bok standout from the Nations Championship — an athletic-yet-brutal presence he compares favourably to Etzebeth — while offering a nuanced critique of de Villiers' overuse tendencies despite his impressive work rate.
Who starts at 12 against the All Blacks?
With the All Blacks series looming, SA Rugby Mag examines who's making the strongest case to start at 12 alongside Jesse Kriel.
Mallett: Eben's reputation won't carry him forever
Mallett warns that Etzebeth and other returning Boks face genuine scrutiny in the Argentina series — reputation alone won't be enough.
Mallett: Argentina Test is a litmus test for Bok injury returnees — not just warm-up minutes
Mallett argues the Buenos Aires Test is a genuine selection proving ground — Erasmus's own comments about training workload capacity suggest he'll be watching far more than match fitness when deciding who starts the All Blacks series.
Etzebeth on notice: reputation won't be enough against Argentina
Nick Mallett warns that Etzebeth's reputation has a shelf life — he needs to perform against Argentina, not just be Eben Etzebeth.
Kiwi insiders feeling nostalgic — and bullish — ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series
Two former All Blacks argue Rennie has restored the attacking identity that made them appointment viewing — and Hall is bold enough to predict they'll outrun the Springboks in South Africa, not overpower them.
Hansen identifies Kriel as the Boks' 'hinge player' — and the All Blacks' key to cracking the blitz
Hansen pinpoints Jesse Kriel as the linchpin of the Springbok blitz and outlines exactly how the All Blacks' playmaker depth can exploit it — if their timing and depth hold up under pressure.
Biggar: All Blacks' ball-in-hand game is perfectly designed to fail against the Boks
Biggar argues Rennie's ball-dominant All Blacks are tactically set up to play into the Springboks' hands — and that New Zealand must win the collision battle first if their expansive game is to mean anything.
Mallett: Kolisi and De Villiers aren't interchangeable — but Siya needs a big one
Mallett pushes back on the idea that De Villiers makes Kolisi redundant, framing them as complementary rather than competing types — but issues a clear warning that Kolisi must perform against Argentina to hold his place ahead of the All Blacks series.
Mallett's theory on why Jantjies edged Papier out of Erasmus's squad
Mallett breaks down Papier's squad snub, arguing 'wiele' is about breakdown tempo rather than pace in hand — and why Jantjies fits Erasmus's system better right now.
Mallett: Kolisi and De Villiers aren't interchangeable — but Siya needs a big one against Argentina
Mallett argues Kolisi and De Villiers are stylistically complementary rather than directly interchangeable, but warns Kolisi must perform against Argentina or risk losing his place ahead of the All Blacks series.
Du Toit, De Villiers and Wiese headline Bok July player ratings
De Koning sifts the stats from a heavily rotated July series to identify Du Toit, Paul de Villiers and Wiese as the Boks' three standout performers — with De Villiers's ball-carrying numbers and Wiese's late-series impact the most compelling findings.
Fan verdict: Who lines up at 12 to partner Kriel against the All Blacks?
With Kriel seemingly locked in at 13, fans are debating which inside centre earns the 12 jersey for the All Blacks series — Hermanus surveys the contenders.
Tshituka on xenophobia, citizenship delays, and earning his Springbok place
Tshituka speaks about the pain of watching xenophobic unrest as a naturalised South African, the bureaucratic delays that nearly derailed his Springbok dream, and the specific areas of his game he knows must improve if he's to hold his place in the squad.
Mallett: Jantjies pick is about the Boks, not the player
Mallett argues the Jantjies selection over Papier is a systems call, not a talent call — worth reading for his breakdown of what the Bok structure demands from the position.
Hansen's blueprint: Take away the aerial contest and watch the Boks unravel
Hansen argues Rennie's All Blacks should rethink aerial-contest mechanics to neutralise one of South Africa's most reliable pressure tools — with unpredictability across the broader game plan the key to making the Boks doubt themselves.
Mallett: Kolisi's No.6 jersey is no longer guaranteed
Mallett warns that Kolisi returns from injury to a genuine battle for the No.6 jersey, with De Villiers having staked his claim in his absence.
All Blacks bolter Tupou Ta'eiloa adds loose forward intrigue ahead of SA tour
Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa — the Moana Pasifika back-rower left club-less after the franchise folded — is reportedly set to be included in Rennie's 44-man SA touring squad, with his post-contact numbers and physical profile making him an ideal bench option as the All Blacks manage Savea's workload and navigate a loose forward depth chart that showed real cracks during the Nations Championship.