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2,076 items · Analysis
High risk, high reward: Why the Bok defence isn't broken
Gold and Foote argue the Bok defence isn't broken — the points being conceded are a calculated cost of running a high-pressure line-speed system, and forcing opposition errors to feed the scrum is a deliberate design choice, not a flaw.
Rennie backs All Blacks quality despite Springbok series loss
Rennie insists the All Blacks are better than their 3-1 series record against the Boks suggests, and frames the remaining six Tests — starting with the Bledisloe — as the opportunity to prove it.
Moyo backs himself to run the Sharks against Leinster
Moyo talks through his mindset ahead of the Leinster clash — internal standards, mentorship from Hendrikse and Masuku, and what Esterhuizen's return means for him at No.10.
Dobson: Kolisi's presence felt — now comes the rugby
Dobson praises Kolisi's immediate impact on the Stormers' environment but flags that his rugby contribution is what the team needs when they face Edinburgh.
Bosch back in SA, eyeing a Bok recall — and he believes his best is good enough
Bosch returns from Brive mentally refreshed and eyeing a Bok recall, arguing the creative freedom he rediscovered in France — combined with accumulated experience — makes his best good enough to compete at Test level.
Bok Women bounce back — and the coaching reshuffle is working
After the Wales hammering, the Bok Women regrouped to beat Italy for only the second time ever — co-head coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt explains how a coaching reshuffle and return to set-piece basics drove the turnaround, with Spain and Ireland still to come.
Gold: Perth loss is a 'good thing' — but the plan B question lingers
Gold and Foote both shrug off the Perth defeat as useful squad intelligence gathered with a rotated XV — but Gold flags a deeper concern: the Boks' plan A remains world-class, yet opponents are increasingly able to neutralise it for long stretches, making a credible plan B the real pre-World Cup development priority.
World Cup 2027 power rankings: Boks lead, but how does the rest stack up?
The Guardian's pre-World Cup power rankings put the Boks at the summit despite the Australia defeat, citing their depth and the series win over the All Blacks as the defining evidence — the full piece ranks all 24 nations.
World Cup 2027 power rankings: Boks lead, but who's closing the gap?
Meagher's pre-World Cup power rankings put the Boks on top despite a late-season blip against Australia, with the 3-1 series win over New Zealand the key credential. The full piece assesses all 24 nations.
Ahmed's Edinburgh audition: building a case for the Stormers' deputy 10 role
Matthee's ankle injury gives Yaqeen Ahmed a start at 10 against Edinburgh — the piece makes the case that it's a genuine opportunity to lock down the Stormers' deputy flyhalf role for when Feinberg-Mngomezulu is unavailable.
Boks head to RWC2027 as favourites — with a target to match
One year out from RWC2027, the Boks enter as favourites and world number one — but the expanded 24-team format sets up a potential quarter-final against the All Blacks before anyone reaches the final. The piece maps the full draw, format changes, and contender landscape.
Ahmed's Edinburgh audition: building a case for the Stormers' backup flyhalf chair
Matthee's ankle injury hands Yaqeen Ahmed a start against Edinburgh — Louw argues it's the young flyhalf's best opportunity yet to lock down the Stormers' backup No.10 role that opens up whenever Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on Bok duty.
Perth wasn't a failed gamble — and some Bok fans still don't get how Rassie thinks
Gavin Rich pushes back hard on the Perth panic, arguing the defeat was the predictable outcome of a deliberate rotation experiment rather than evidence of a cracked Bok code — and draws on the Loftus-Scotland game to show Rassie's methodology hasn't changed, only the result has.
O'Mahony rates Farrell above Erasmus — but his Rassie insight is what Bok fans need to hear
O'Mahony picks Farrell as his all-time coach, but his inside account of how Erasmus actually operates — tactician, motivator, pressure-absorber, and shrewd assembler of specialist staff — offers genuine texture on the Bok boss that goes beyond the headlines.
The officiating split is real — and a former Irish ref boss wants World Rugby to stop it spreading
Doyle argues that Super Rugby Pacific officiating is systematically eroding the contest for possession, effectively creating two different games at Test level — and warns that Australian and New Zealand influence at World Rugby could push those standards global after 2027.
Hooper's Piardi plea is referee-bashing with a welfare bow on top
Planet Rugby argues Hooper's 'duty of care' plea is referee-bias finger-pointing in disguise — and that the Wallabies' indiscipline, not Piardi, is the real problem.
Mallett: Depth has limits — Nche, Marx and Etzebeth remain irreplaceable
Mallett argues the Perth loss exposed real limits in Bok depth, singling out Nche, Marx, and Etzebeth as genuinely irreplaceable — while warning that Australia's ill-discipline would be fatal at World Cup level.
The All Blacks tune-up paid dividends in SA franchises' URC opening sweep
SA franchises banked 19/20 URC points in Round One without their senior Boks — and the piece makes a compelling case that the All Blacks pre-season tour was the key differentiator, with squad continuity between those Tests and Round One squads cited as direct evidence.
All Blacks warm-up games paid dividends in SA's URC clean sweep
De Koning argues that the SA franchises' dominant URC Round One clean sweep was built on serious pre-season preparation — specifically the All Blacks tour matches — while the Springboks' Perth loss to the Wallabies illustrated exactly what a soft warm-up schedule costs you.
Johnson: Never Write Off the Wallabies at Their Own World Cup
Johnson draws on 2003 experience to argue the Wallabies — unbeaten under Kiss and fresh off beating the world champions with 11 men — should not be dismissed as genuine 2027 contenders, warning that Australian home conditions and tactical cleverness make them dangerous regardless of current rankings.