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Rassie on scrum feeds: better enforcement coming, but context will still matter
Erasmus draws on World Rugby's 'Shape of the Game' conference to explain why scrum-feed policing is nuanced rather than negligent — and what will actually be clamped down on.
Du Toit's Premiership years give Boks an inside edge on England
Erasmus is using Du Toit's Premiership experience as a key intelligence source, while warning that England's poor Six Nations form is no guide to what the Boks face Saturday — a theme the piece explores through Erasmus's own words on form, altitude, and tactical unpredictability.
Coles, Kolisi and the deeper stakes of England vs the Boks
Kitson uses Northampton lock Alex Coles — who once sought out Kolisi to discuss racial unity — to explore whether England truly grasp the meaning Springboks attach to pulling on the jersey, and what that gap might mean when the series kicks off.
Rassie confirms midfield maul was a calculated protest — and it worked
Erasmus confirms the midfield maul was as much a statement to World Rugby as a tactical weapon — and the resulting law clarification suggests it landed. He explains the lineout mauling context that drove it, and why he expects the innovation to persist.
Brits backs Libbok but flags the bench gamble Erasmus is taking against England
Brits backs the Libbok selection but flags a real structural risk in having no credible backup 10 on the bench, while arguing that a more mature Libbok — operating behind a dominant forward pack — could use this Nations Championship as a genuine World Cup audition.
Easter's blueprint: pressure Libbok, survive Nché
Nick Easter sees a route to an England upset, but only if they can pressure Libbok and manage Nché's scrumming dominance.
Kolbe and Willemse hit 50: Rassie reflects on a career built on heart over size
Erasmus reflects on Kolbe's unlikely rise to 50 caps — once doubted for his size, now a two-time World Cup winner — as both Kolbe and Willemse hit the milestone against England on Saturday.
Kriel on motivation, milestones and making it count
Kriel opens up on sharpening motivation late in his Bok career, extends his record midfield partnership with De Allende to 42 caps, and flags unfinished business after last year's Ellis Park loss to Australia as the Boks prepare to host England.
Coles relishes the Etzebeth-Nortjé test as England prepare for Ellis Park opener
Alex Coles previews facing Etzebeth and Nortjé at Ellis Park, framing Itoje's absence as an opportunity while acknowledging the scale of the second-row challenge awaiting England in the Nations Championship opener.
Nations Championship kicks off with a Super Saturday — but the format's problems are already showing
Gavin Rich previews a blockbuster opening Saturday for the Nations Championship — six matches back-to-back, from Rennie's All Blacks debut against a depleted France to the Boks hosting England at Ellis Park. He also dissects the competition's scheduling absurdities, the Dupont-as-world's-best debate, and what the southern hemisphere shift means for France's ambitions ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Bok Women target defensive dominance ahead of Ellis Park USA clash
Assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt has identified defence — from scrums to wide ruck containment — as the key focus ahead of Saturday's Ellis Park clash with the USA, with the Bok Women targeting consecutive strong performances to drive their world ranking upward.
Erasmus explains the Janse van Rensburg decision — it wasn't a snub, it was a pecking order
Erasmus confirms BJvR was on the Bok radar but couldn't be promised a cap — so England moved first. The piece frames it as a depth problem rather than a rejection, and is worth reading for Rassie's candid account of how the conversation unfolded.
Borthwick's silo culture drove Felix Jones back to the Boks
Telegraph sources reveal Jones was sidelined within Borthwick's coaching structure, barred from cross-department input and frustrated by a culture that lacked winning ruthlessness — the antithesis of the Springbok environment he'd come from. Walters' exit sealed the decision, and South Africa made clear they wanted him back.
Why the Joe Lewis appointment is bigger than just England week
Joe Lewis's appointment as Bok analyst is getting attention because of his Borthwick ties, but the piece argues the real story is Erasmus quietly closing a significant resource gap — the Boks have been operating with one analyst while rivals field five or more.
Matfield 'nervous' ahead of England opener — and his concerns deserve attention
Matfield is openly nervous about the Boks' readiness for England despite the rankings gap — he questions cohesion, scrum supremacy, and tactical identity heading into an opener against a team that, despite poor form, is more match-hardened.
Rassie's analytics upgrade: Joe Lewis adds edge for England clash
Erasmus acknowledges Lewis's England intel as a genuine advantage, but the more revealing story is his frank admission that the Boks have been outgunned analytically for years — and that this restructured unit is the fix.
England tuning out the Pollock hype — but the Boks should tune in
Rassie has twice publicly praised Pollock ahead of Saturday's clash, and England's camp echoes the sentiment — suggesting the 'cocky youngster who needs taking down a peg' narrative may be flattering to deceive.
50 caps, 21 tries — but Kolbe's Bok impact still feels underrepresented
Kolbe's 50th cap this weekend prompts reflection on a career that has punched well above its cap count — the piece revisits his most decisive Bok moments and asks why a player this influential hasn't played twice as many Tests.
Mallett's Erasmus anecdotes reveal the roots of a generational coaching mind
Mallett shares two previously untold Erasmus stories — a disallowed interception try that changed TMO protocol, and lessons drawn from the 1997 Twickenham loss — building a compelling case for how the player's analytical instincts and the Munster stint forged the coach South Africa has now.
Easter: England's losing streak is their biggest asset at Ellis Park
Easter argues England's four-game losing streak removes all pressure and makes Ellis Park a genuine free swing — but only if they achieve scrum parity against the 'freak' Nché and execute a disciplined kicking game before Libbok finds his rhythm.