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Old Guard back, big Cape Town moment: Boks Office panel backs Siya and experience to turn the series around
The Boks Office panel argues that Rassie's experience-heavy reset is correct but that Cape Town demands the Boks take their points, fix their 22 conversion rate, and trust a defensive system that wasn't actually responsible for the Ellis Park tries conceded.
Owens: Both Bok yellow cards were correct — and cynical
Nigel Owens backs both yellow cards against the Boks in the first Greatest Rivalry Test, detailing why Van Staden's offside tackle on Roigard and Reinach's deliberate knock-on were textbook cynical-play decisions — and why the officiating was correct.
Why Cape Town is a career-defining stage for SFM10 — not a redemption arc
The author argues that SFM10's Cape Town start isn't about redemption — it's a career-defining opportunity of the kind that separates good players from legends, drawing a pointed parallel with Dan Carter's breakout Lions Test in 2005.
Mallett's message to SFM: trust the system
Mallett warns that SFM's individual brilliance needs to be channelled within the Springbok system against the All Blacks on Saturday — the piece unpacks what that means for his role.
Kolisi backs Bok experience to count — but warns execution must improve
Kolisi returns from injury arguing the Ellis Park scoreline flattered the All Blacks — the Boks created enough to win but failed to convert, and fixing that is the entire task in Cape Town.
Kolisi backs Hanekom to deliver against the All Blacks
Kolisi backs Hanekom to shine against the All Blacks and defends Erasmus's rotation strategy ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship clash.
Pollard withdrawal forces Erasmus into late fly-half reshuffle before Cape Town decider
Handré Pollard's withdrawal on the eve of Saturday's second Test against New Zealand has forced Rassie Erasmus into an abrupt change of tack. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, dropped earlier in the week after struggling at Ellis Park, returns to start at fly-half with Manie Libbok promoted to the bench. The reshuffle undermines what appeared to be a deliberate shift towards a more conservative game plan built around Pollard's composure and territorial control.
Kolisi Returns to Lead Springboks in Must-Win Cape Town Test After Late Pollard Blow
Siya Kolisi returns from injury to captain the Springboks in Saturday's second Test against New Zealand at DHL Stadium, with the hosts trailing 1-0 in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. The skipper earns his 100th cap in a fixture overshadowed by Handré Pollard's late withdrawal through calf injury, forcing Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the starting XV at flyhalf. Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick confirmed the side must convert more of the scoring opportunities squandered in the 16-33 defeat at Ellis Park if they are to level the series.
Owens: Jacobson's hit on Wiese sat in rugby's 'coffee table' grey zone
Nigel Owens unpacks the Jacobson-Wiese incident, explaining why the 'coffee table' law made it a genuinely borderline call — and why the timing of it hurt the Boks badly.
Griquas Women claim inaugural WSL 2 title with second-half comeback in Nelspruit
Griquas Women defeated Pumas Women 31-25 in Nelspruit to claim their first-ever provincial title, overturning a 17-14 halftime deficit with a decisive second-half display in the Pick n Pay Women's Super League 2 final.
Savea expects a sharper, hungrier Bok side in Cape Town
Savea warns the All Blacks can't repeat their slow Ellis Park start, flagging the Boks' well-known ability to hit back harder after a loss — and dismissing the late selection changes as irrelevant given the quality depth in the Springbok squad.
Griquas Women claim maiden WSL 2 title with gutsy comeback in Nelspruit
AVBOB Griquas Women claimed their first provincial women's title by overturning a 10-point deficit to beat Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women 31-25 in the Pick n Pay WSL 2 final at Mbombela Stadium, with replacement centre Tyrell Wilson and a dominant second-half bench effort proving decisive.
Griquas crowned WSL 2 champions with second-half fightback in Nelspruit
AVBOB Griquas Women claimed their first-ever provincial women's title, overturning a 17-7 deficit to beat the Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women 31-25 in the Pick n Pay WSL 2 final in Nelspruit, with replacement centre Tyrell Wilson's second-half impact proving decisive.
Kolisi leans on past resilience as Boks face must-win Cape Town test
Kolisi returns from injury to lead a 1-0 series deficit, drawing on past comebacks and identifying conversion efficiency as the key corrective for Cape Town.
All Blacks flag scrum concerns to World Rugby ahead of Cape Town decider
Rennie has lodged a World Rugby complaint over Ellis Park scrum officiating while identifying discipline and contact-area go-forward as areas needing urgent improvement. He's bracing for a Boklash but insists the All Blacks' focus is on lifting their own performance rather than containing the Boks.
Pollard's 'niggle' or Erasmus misdirection? The fly-half switch that has the All Blacks guessing
Meagher questions whether Pollard's late withdrawal is injury or Erasmus misdirection — swapping a set-piece-heavy gameplan for SFM's attacking threat in a must-win Cape Town Test.
Kolisi returns as Boks vow to convert chances against All Blacks in Cape Town
The Springboks go into Saturday's second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town determined to address their failure to convert chances from last week's defeat, with Siya Kolisi returning as captain and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at flyhalf after Handré Pollard was ruled out with a mid-week niggle.
Kolbe replaces Arendse as Pollard injury forces Bok reshuffle for second All Blacks Test
Handré Pollard is out with a calf injury, bringing Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the starting XV for Saturday's second Test in Cape Town, while Cheslin Kolbe replaces Kurt-Lee Arendse on the wing following a late fitness assessment.
Stransky draws Mandela parallel as Kolisi returns — and credits Rassie for orchestrating du Toit's 100th
Stransky likens Kolisi's leadership aura to Mandela's, while arguing Rassie deliberately engineered du Toit's 100th cap to fall at home in Cape Town against the All Blacks — the kind of detail that reveals how carefully the Bok environment is managed.
Is Pollard's 'niggle' Rassie's latest mind game ahead of Cape Town?
Erasmus's late Pollard-to-Feinberg-Mngomezulu switch may be less injury misfortune and more classic misdirection — the piece examines whether Cape Town's selection is a gameplan pivot or a carefully planted puzzle for the All Blacks.