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Faf stars as Baa-Baas fall short — and North signs off in storybook fashion
Faf de Klerk captained the Barbarians to a narrow 33-31 loss to Wales, earning top marks despite looking spent after 25 minutes — his quick-tap instincts and fringe running the highlight of the Baa-Baas' attack. Vincent Koch also stood out in the scrum. The piece doubles as a lead-in to Rassie's comments on snubbed Springbok veterans.
Faf stars but Baa-Baas fall short as North bows out in style
Faf de Klerk was the standout with an 8-rating as Barbarians captain, driving their best moments despite looking spent early, but a string of individual errors — and too many promising positions squandered — cost the Baa-Baas in a 33-31 defeat. George North's two-try farewell off the bench was the emotional highlight.
Paulse: Rassie's youth fast-track is unprecedented — and Paul de Villiers is the next Deon Fourie
Paulse argues Erasmus's youth fast-track reflects a real cultural shift in Bok selection, singles out Paul de Villiers as a Deon Fourie-type find, and suggests more squad surprises are coming through the Nations Championship.
Bok depth at an all-time high as 2027 planning takes shape
Opperman charts how Erasmus has layered 2024 and 2025 debutants over a still-intact veteran core, arguing South African rugby depth has never been stronger — and that the 2027 selection headache will be a good one to have.
Boks' World Cup pipeline: deeper than it looks
Opperman traces how Erasmus has been systematically building World Cup depth since 2023 — layering new talent without discarding proven stalwarts — and argues the Boks are on track to arrive at 2027 with unprecedented selection options.
FNB Stadium double-header set to be landmark moment for Bok Women
The Bok Women face the Black Ferns in a double-header at FNB Stadium in September 2026 — part of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry — with Juan de Jongh arguing the occasion could be a defining moment for the women's programme's upward trajectory.
Youngs wants Pollock to give Bok fans 'the Vs' at Ellis Park
Youngs is actively cheering for Pollock to rile up Bok supporters at Ellis Park, while Kitshoff admits a Pollock masterclass would be a PR nightmare — Erasmus, meanwhile, has separated the Instagram antics from the on-field ability he clearly rates.
Fassi's Japan move leaves the Sharks with a genuine fullback headache
Fassi's confirmed Japan sabbatical strips the Sharks of their first-choice fullback for a season, but with Kunene and Giliomee also gone, Gavin Rich argues the Sharks are dangerously thin in the position — and questions whether teenage prospect Siyaya is ready to carry the load.
Fassi's Japan sabbatical exposes a fullback crisis brewing at the Sharks
Three fullbacks out in one off-season — Fassi to Japan, Kunene and Giliomee to the Bulls — leaves the Sharks dangerously thin at 15, with only a teenager and a few makeshift options to fill the void.
Wiese's Barbarians masterclass deserves more noise than it's getting
Gavin Rich argues Wiese's Barbarians performance — dominant carries, defensive grunt, a lineout try — deserves the same attention being lavished on Pollock, and that a head-to-head on 4 July could quickly recalibrate English expectations.
In Rassie We Trust — and the Squad Depth to Back It Up
Rich argues the Barbarians game confirmed Springbok depth rather than exposed weakness, defends Erasmus's Van der Mescht omission as data-driven rather than arbitrary, and makes the case that — after everything Rassie has delivered — his selection calls deserve trust rather than social-media-driven second-guessing.
Wallabies prop Bell: South Africa has set the modern template for scrums and bench use
Wallabies loosehead Bell credits his Ulster season with exposing him to South African provincial scrums weekly, concluding that the Bomb Squad model and scrum-as-foundation approach has genuinely revolutionised how forward-dominant rugby is structured globally.
Junior Boks open title defence against Uruguay — Rugby365 predicts 30-point win
Rugby365 previews all round-one JWC fixtures with full lineups and predictions, giving 30-plus points to the Junior Boks over Uruguay as Kevin Foote's reigning champions open their title defence in Tbilisi.
From a Grade 11 wake-up call to the Springbok squad: The making of Vusi Moyo
A profile built around Engelbrecht's recollections maps Moyo's development from a talented but unfocused schoolboy to a composed international prospect — one his former coach believes is destined for greatness.
In Rassie We Trust — and Squad Depth That Proves Why
Rich argues the Barbarians game confirmed Bok depth rather than revealed weakness, defends Erasmus's Nations Championship squad selections — particularly the Van der Mescht omission — and makes the case that Rassie's track record now warrants a default position of trust rather than scrutiny.
Marshall warns Rennie: don't put McKenzie or Beauden at 15 again
Marshall is fuming at the prospect of Rennie again deploying McKenzie or Beauden Barrett at full-back, calling it a failed experiment and proposing Jordie Barrett as the safer option — with Jordan's injury potentially lingering into the first Springbok Test, it's a spine problem that could define the series.
Bok depth is giving the coaches selection headaches — and England should be worried
Joubert and Rich argue Bok depth is at an unprecedented level, creating real selection dilemmas for the coaches — and a serious warning for England ahead of Ellis Park.
Hougaard: Du Preez was so good the coaches sat down when he spoke
Hougaard recalls du Preez commanding such tactical authority at the Bulls that coaches would defer to him in meetings — a fascinating glimpse into how that era's dominant teams actually functioned.
Mallett: Pollard can't afford the same margin for error as his rivals
Mallett argues Pollard faces a stricter margin for error than Libbok or Feinberg-Mngomezulu — his value is built on flawless execution, not attacking flair, which makes costly errors against Leinster especially damaging heading into the England clash.
Burger backs Horn at 10 — but flags the real test still to come
Burger praises Horn's fullback-brained approach to fly-half but warns that game management under Test-match pressure remains the unproven part of the equation.