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2,970 items · Springboks
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.
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.
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.
Stormers rule out De Allende move, turn attention to Jurenzo Julius
The Stormers have ruled out signing Damian de Allende on budget grounds and are targeting Sharks centre Jurenzo Julius instead, while Sanele Nohamba has joined Lyon on a two-year deal.
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.
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 warns Etzebeth faces crucial test against Argentina after injury layoff
Former Springbok head coach Nick Mallett has identified the August clash with Argentina as a pivotal fixture for Eben Etzebeth and nine other returning players ahead of the All Blacks series. The most-capped Springbok has featured just once since November following a ban, injury and concussion. Mallett questioned whether the Buenos Aires encounter would provide sufficient preparation for the Ellis Park opener 14 days later.
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.
Faf brace and Nkabinde hat-trick power Cheetahs to 43-21 win over Sharks
Faf de Klerk scored twice and Prince Nkabinde claimed a hat-trick as the Cheetahs beat the Sharks 43-21 to sit top of the Currie Cup after two rounds.