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AnalysisSpringboks

Bulls' Dublin humiliation a warning shot ahead of All Blacks tour

The Bulls' Dublin collapse gets a withering post-mortem, but the column pivots quickly to the bigger picture — the Hurricanes' record-breaking Super Rugby title run signals exactly the kind of tempo-driven threat Rennie's All Blacks will bring on their first South African tour in 30 years.

TimesLIVE Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Springboks v Barbarians player ratings: Van der Merwe stars, Horn experiment delivers mixed verdict

A full player-by-player ratings breakdown of the Barbarians win, with the Quan Horn fly-half experiment, Riley Norton's debut and Edwill van der Merwe's hat-trick the key talking points.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Baa-Baas player ratings: World-class moments couldn't hide the gulf in class against the Boks

Planet Rugby's Barbarians player ratings from the 80-31 loss to the Boks identify Perenara, Vakatawa and Albornoz as the quality standouts, but a front row rated as low as 3 and a dominant Bok scrum tell the real story of a side outclassed up front.

Planet Rugby · SA Rugby Mag
AnalysisSpringboks

Norton shines, Horn struggles, and discipline wobbles — five takeaways from the Boks' Barbarians romp

Five takeaways from the Boks' 80-31 win over the Barbarians — Norton impresses at lock, Horn's flyhalf experiment underwines, midfield defence raises questions, and the first-choice back row looks ready for England.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Ratings: Edwill bags a hat-trick, Norton impresses on debut, and Kolbe is Kolbe

A full player-by-player breakdown of the Barbarians win — Van der Merwe and the loose trio lead the way, Norton's debut earns glowing marks, and the Horn fly-half experiment gets a cautious green light.

Planet Rugby · SuperSport Rugby
AnalysisJunior Boks

SA A ratings v Zimbabwe: Am the standout, a future 50-cap Bok, and a red card that's a learning curve

Planet Rugby rates the SA A squad after a 40-0 win over Zimbabwe — Am leads by example, a 20-year-old hooker is tipped as a future Bok stalwart, and Ahmed's red card is the main cautionary note.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisJunior Boks

SA 'A' backline shines in 40-0 demolition of Zimbabwe

Fortune's ratings from the 40-0 win over Zimbabwe read as a Bok squad audition — Jaco Williams topped the charts at 9/10, Giliomee impressed at 15, and Ahmed dazzled before a red card ended his night, while the forwards delivered a patchy but functional showing.

Rugby365
AnalysisJunior Boks

SA 'A' backline shines in 40-0 demolition of Zimbabwe

Fortune's player-by-player breakdown of SA 'A''s 40-0 win over Zimbabwe highlights a dominant backline performance — Williams and Giliomee lead the ratings — while flagging set-piece concerns up front and a red card for Ahmed as the main talking points.

Rugby365
AnalysisSpringboks

Lukhanyo Am eyes Bok return — and there's a tactical twist

Am's SA 'A' call-up is the first step in his Bok comeback, with a deliberate move to the 12 jersey adding a tactical dimension to his return.

Rugby365
AnalysisSpringboks

Am at 12: A deliberate Bok plan finally getting its shot

Am's SA 'A' selection isn't a nostalgia pick — Mzwandile Stick reveals it's the execution of a year-old Tony Brown plan to slot him in at 12, with his Japan stint having revitalised him physically and mentally ahead of a Bok squad push.

Rugby365
AnalysisSpringboks

Leinster 36-7 Bulls: Player Ratings from Croke Park

Cameron rates every Leinster player from their 36-7 Champions Cup demolition of the Bulls at Croke Park, with Deegan, Keenan and Prendergast the standout performers in what he calls Leinster's most complete display of the season.

Rugby365
AnalysisSpringboks

Leinster's 36-7 dismantling of the Bulls — who starred and who struggled

Cameron's match ratings break down who drove Leinster's dominant 36-7 Champions Cup win over a Springbok-heavy Bulls side — Keenan, Deegan and Prendergast top the list, while the Bulls' big names were largely shut out.

Rugby365
AnalysisProvincial

Bulls' URC Final collapse dissected: a damning scorecard

A damning player-by-player breakdown of the Bulls' third consecutive URC Final defeat, with Pollard (1), Moodie (2), and Vermaak (2) singled out for errors that directly shaped the scoreline. The forwards showed more resolve, but it wasn't close to enough.

Rugby365 · Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Burger and Matfield cry foul over disallowed Bulls tries — but admit Leinster were simply better

Burger and Matfield have legitimate grievances about the two disallowed tries in the URC Final, but Burger's own post-match analysis points to a bigger failure: the Bulls never pressured Prendergast, and Leinster's dominance across every stat tells the real story.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Bulls humiliated again: Springbok pedigree counts for nothing as Leinster make history

Planet Rugby's five takeaways from Leinster's 36-7 URC Final win argue that the Bulls' Springbok-heavy side showed none of their world-class pedigree when it mattered, with Prendergast outplaying Pollard, Gibson-Park outclassing Papier, and a disciplinary collapse gifting Leinster the contest inside half an hour.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Bulls rated: Pollard's horror final, Hanekom's heroics and a squad that flattered to deceive

A scathing player-by-player verdict on the Bulls' fourth URC Final loss — Pollard and Moodie are roasted, Hanekom earns rare praise, and the ratings raise pointed questions about a systemic defensive flaw running through the squad.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Why Horn at 10 makes sense — and what Esterhuizen brings to the equation

De Villiers and Burger back Horn to do a job at 10, but frame it as depth-building with the Bok pack expected to do the heavy lifting — and Esterhuizen positioned as the pressure release if Horn's game management is tested.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Quan Horn at 10, Du Toit's return, and an 18-point Bok win predicted — Boks v Barbarians preview

Quan Horn's surprise start at fly-half headlines a Boks v Barbarians preview that also tracks Du Toit's comeback, Kolbe's kicking duties, and whether the Barbarians can make a better fist of it than last year's 54-7 Cape Town hammering. An 18-point Bok win is predicted.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisGeneral

Van der Merwe eyes Scotland recall after Townsend lifeline

Van der Merwe opens up on a brutal season of injury and form loss, and how a Townsend phone call — offering him the Barbarians gig against the Boks — has him targeting a Scotland recall for the Nations Championship.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Quan Horn at 10, five uncapped players, and a Barbarians side built to cause problems

Erasmus uses the Barbarians match to trial Horn at 10, blood five uncapped players, and stress-test new combinations — while Robertson's Barbarians arrive with enough firepower to make it a genuine contest.

Rugby365