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Mexted: Sititi is a 6, not an 8 — and it matters for the Boks
Mexted argues Sititi's defensive limitations make him a blindside, not a number eight — exposing a real depth problem at the base of the All Blacks scrum that would hurt them against the Boks.
Murray Mexted: Springboks series did Rennie a favour by exposing All Blacks' gaps
Mexted argues the 3-1 series loss to the Boks was a necessary education for Rennie — exposing players who can't make the step up from Super Rugby and fast-tracking a squad cull ahead of the World Cup.
Rennie calls out 'crazy' RWC draw as Boks-All Blacks quarter-final looms
Rennie has publicly called out the 2027 RWC draw after it produced a likely Springboks-All Blacks quarter-final clash — the same structural problem that plagued 2023 — and the piece unpacks his frustration alongside his broader focus as he beds in as All Blacks coach ahead of World Cup year.
Donald backs Barrett to push Marx for World Rugby's top prize
Stephen Donald is backing Jordie Barrett to challenge Malcolm Marx for the 2026 World Rugby Player of the Year award, arguing Barrett's consistency at 12 for the All Blacks — underscored by another standout display in the Bledisloe — has set a new personal standard. Marx is flagged as the main rival, making this a potential Bok-vs-All Black title fight for the game's top individual honour.
SA's referee drought explained — and when it might end
URC referee boss Tappe Henning explains SA's absence from top-level officiating as a generational transition rather than a quality gap — and maps out a three-to-four-year runway before Colby, van Rooyen, and Allison are realistically in the mix for Test appointments.
Matfield's theory: Super Rugby's Trans-Tasman gap is rotting the Wallabies from the inside out
Matfield argues Australia's Super Rugby inferiority against New Zealand clubs has created a deep-seated mental block that surfaces every time the Wallabies face the All Blacks — and points to the All Blacks' improved aerial game and returning forward depth as factors that made the 50-19 Bledisloe result almost inevitable.
Marshall rates Wilson above Wiese as world's best No.8 — where does that leave the Boks?
Marshall ranks Wilson above Wiese as the world's best No.8, but his reasoning — lower involvement in a deeper Bok forward pack — raises questions about how fairly Wiese's impact is being measured.
Barrett: Bledisloe win a step forward, but Springbok hurt lingers
Barrett frames the Bledisloe blowout as early remediation of the gaps the Springboks exposed — particularly in the kicking game and forward dominance — with an eye firmly on building World Cup-cycle consistency.
Jeff Wilson: Wallabies were lulled into false security by a rotated Bok side
Jeff Wilson argues Australia's win over a rotated Bok side gave them a false read on their own readiness, while the All Blacks' bruising series against the full-strength Springboks left them better calibrated and battle-hardened for Eden Park.
Rennie frames Bok series loss as a catalyst after All Blacks dismantle Wallabies at Eden Park
Rennie credited the 3-1 series loss to the Boks as a direct catalyst for the All Blacks' 50-19 Bledisloe dismantling of the Wallabies — framing the South Africa defeats as fixable execution failures rather than structural problems. Worth reading for what it signals about how New Zealand are processing that series heading into the World Cup year.
Kirwan: Boks showed the All Blacks exactly who they need to be
Kirwan uses the Bok series as a blueprint for what the All Blacks must replicate — their intensity, physicality and desperation — now that South Africa isn't on the other side to force it out of them.
Barrett: Boks leaned into their DNA — and the All Blacks know it's not a quick fix
Barrett pinpoints the Boks' scrum and maul as the series-deciding factors, dismisses referee complaints as a slippery slope, and warns the gaps exposed aren't overnight fixes — while Ryan suggests losing the captaincy could unlock Barrett's best rugby.
Graham Henry blames Super Rugby for All Blacks' Bok problem
Henry argues the All Blacks' recurring problems against the Boks in the scrum and high ball are partly structural — without South African franchises in Super Rugby, New Zealand players have no competition-level exposure to that style until they're standing in a Test.
All Blacks forward coach takes scrum lessons from Boks — but won't be 'walking around'
Jason Ryan's honest debrief on the RGR series loss credits the Boks' set-piece as world-best, flags seven costly scrum penalties, and points to Barrett's return as key to an All Blacks response in the Bledisloe Cup — while wryly dismissing the 'walking around' controversy.
All Blacks forward coach won't sugarcoat the Springbok series — and wants a physical statement against Australia
Jason Ryan has acknowledged the All Blacks were outmuscled by the Springboks across the series and is demanding a forward-led statement performance in the Bledisloe opener, with urgency at the breakdown and in the carry identified as the critical battleground against Australia's jackalling threats.
Rennie doubles down on All Blacks' high-ball approach despite Bok beatings
Rennie defends the All Blacks' retreat-and-link aerial tactic despite the Springboks dismantling it, arguing the system works against deeper kickers and that New Zealand are close to making their new high-tempo style stick.
Ioane: Wallabies' win over the Boks was bigger than rugby
Ioane frames the Wallabies' 42-38 win over the Boks as a cultural moment for Australian rugby — a result that landed on the same weekend as the NRL semis and AFL grand final and, in his view, proved rugby is still rising against fierce domestic competition ahead of a home World Cup.
Hansen backs Hooper's Piardi call — but is he right?
Hansen defends Hooper's call to keep Piardi away from Wallabies fixtures, framing it as subconscious-bias management rather than ref-bashing — a distinction the piece scrutinises closely and one with direct relevance given the Boks were involved in that controversial Perth loss.
SA Rugby's data-driven push to find the next generation of Boks
SA Rugby's Ian Schwartz outlines how data is being used to drive talent identification and transformation at the grassroots level — a window into the pipeline that feeds the Bok system.
Rennie: Boks are beatable — but the All Blacks aren't there yet
Rennie's post-Rugby's Greatest Rivalry debrief is honest: the All Blacks weren't clinical enough when it counted, the Ellis Park blowout flattered them, and he knows the Boks' experience and clarity of identity are what make them so hard to beat. He's not changing the system — he's backing execution to improve.