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Rennie warns the Boks will be 'fivefold' the test as All Blacks eye Test series
Rennie flags a massive step-up ahead, warning the Boks will be 'fivefold' more intense than anything the All Blacks have faced on tour. The piece weighs what was genuinely learned — scrum improvement, altitude acclimatisation, attacking fluency — against the obvious caveat that all three franchise wins came against heavily depleted opposition.
Rennie warns All Blacks must lift several gears for Ellis Park Test
Rennie is happy with three tour wins but draws a sharp line between provincial opposition and Bok intensity — his post-Bulls message was that his side needs to lift 'three, four, five-fold' for Ellis Park.
Ackermann tips patient Springboks to exploit All Black risks
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann believes the Springboks will pose a far greater challenge to New Zealand than his side managed at Loftus Versfeld, where the All Blacks ran in a 50-19 victory. Ackermann suggested the visitors may struggle to execute the same ambitious plays from deep when facing a match-fit world champion side at Ellis Park.
Ackermann: All Blacks' deep-half gambles won't fly against the Boks
Ackermann warns the All Blacks that the scoreboard cushion which let them play cavalier rugby from their own half won't be available against the Springboks — and he sees patient ball-in-hand play as the key weapon for the Boks at Ellis Park.
Kronfeld senses 'something growing' under Rennie ahead of Bok tour
Kronfeld says the All Blacks finally look like they're building something coherent under Rennie after years of confused rugby, but openly admits the Springbok tour is a genuine unknown — and that collective buy-in will be the deciding factor.
Etzebeth tops Planet Rugby's global lock rankings — Nortjé and Snyman also feature
Etzebeth leads Planet Rugby's global lock rankings, with Nortjé and Snyman also featuring — the list doubles as a useful World Cup form guide for Bok second-row depth.
Rennie: Bulls win was 'almost like training for the Springboks'
Rennie was satisfied with the All Blacks' controlled performance against the Bulls but openly acknowledged the step up required for next week's first Test — wholesale changes coming, Roigard and Jordan back, McKenzie uncertain.
Greatest Rivalry tour put profit before fans — and it showed
Keohane argues the Greatest Rivalry tour was a cash grab that got ticket pricing wrong and should never have taken the Test series offshore — fans paid the price for both calls.
How New Zealand's voluntary exclusion of Māori players amounted to self-imposed apartheid
Jamie Wall argues that New Zealand voluntarily excluded Māori players from South Africa tours decades before apartheid was formalised, and that the backlash over the 1976 series did not shift New Zealand public opinion as much as liberal commentators assumed.
Mo'unga set for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry debut against Lions
Dave Rennie has confirmed Richie Mo'unga is in line for his first outing of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour against the Lions on 25 August.
How New Zealand voluntarily enforced apartheid — before apartheid existed
Jamie Wall argues that New Zealand's exclusion of Māori players from South Africa tours was a voluntary act that predated apartheid itself — and that domestic political will to end it was far weaker than the liberal press of the era suggested.
The All Blacks still sell out South Africa — but the tour structure got it wrong
Sold-out venues from Cape Town to Baltimore prove the rivalry's magnetism is undiminished, but the columnist argues the tour structure squandered an opportunity — overpriced warm-up games excluded the fans who'd have filled those grounds, the fourth Test in the US is a money-grab, and the real series should have been settled entirely in South Africa.
Ignore the warm-ups — only two matches matter heading into Ellis Park
A sharp pre-match guide arguing that only the Boks' win over England and the All Blacks' win over Ireland are relevant form guides — everything else was managed preparation. Breaks down how both Erasmus and Rennie deliberately shielded their first-choice combinations, and why the real test of both squads begins at Ellis Park.
Mo'unga ruled out of Ellis Park Test as Rennie eyes McKenzie fitness
Dave Rennie has confirmed Richie Mo'unga will not feature in the All Blacks' opening clash against the Springboks at Ellis Park next Saturday, despite arriving in Gauteng to replace the injured Billy Proctor. The head coach remains hopeful that Damian McKenzie will recover in time for selection, though the utility back is less certain than fellow injury concerns Cam Roigard and Will Jordan.
Rennie confident Roigard, Jordan and McKenzie will be fit for Ellis Park Test
Dave Rennie expects Cam Roigard, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie to be fit for the Ellis Park Test, despite an injury-hit tour that has already cost the All Blacks George Bell, Billy Proctor and Caleb Clarke.
Mo'unga ruled out of first Test as McKenzie fitness clouds All Blacks backline
Richie Mo'unga has been ruled out of the first Springboks Test at Ellis Park, with Ruben Love set to start at fly-half. Damian McKenzie remains a fitness doubt, while Will Jordan and Cam Rogiard are expected to be available after returning to training.
All Blacks put down a marker with 50-19 demolition of the Bulls
The Bulls were undercooked, but the All Blacks' 50-19 win carried genuine warning signs for the Boks — scrum dominance, a dangerous backline and composure under pressure all featured ahead of Saturday's Ellis Park clash.
McKenzie doubt, Mo'unga eased in: All Blacks' injury picture ahead of Ellis Park
Rennie is quietly optimistic about his squad's tour form but has three injury calls to make, with McKenzie the biggest uncertainty. Mo'unga won't feature in the first Test despite arriving in camp.
Ackermann backs patient Boks to exploit All Blacks
Ackermann shares a knowing take on how the Boks can exploit the All Blacks — patience is the theme, with the full piece unpacking the tactical detail behind it.
All Blacks put 50 on the Bulls — but plenty still to fix before the Bok Tests
Fortune's player-by-player breakdown of the All Blacks' Loftus win highlights Carter, Ioane and Numia as form players heading into the Bok series, while flagging Ratima's kicking, Moorby's defence and a largely anonymous bench as areas Rennie needs to address.