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Kirwan backs Mo'unga loophole — and Matfield sees a Pollard precedent
Kirwan is certain Mo'unga tours South Africa via an injury loophole, with Matfield citing the Rassie/Pollard RWC precedent — and NZR's CEO publicly holding the line changes nothing in Kirwan's view.
Janse van Rensburg at the top of England's centre pecking order — and what it means for the Boks
Borthwick's centre headache has a new frontrunner: Janse van Rensburg is rated the likely starter at 12 for England's Tests against Fiji and Argentina, though he's ineligible for the opener against the Springboks. The piece ranks all options at 12 and 13, with Freeman locked in outside and Slade unlucky to be on the fringes.
How a vague headline ignited a Champions Cup storm that wasn't really there
Brenden Nel argues the Champions Cup exit story was built on almost nothing — a paraphrased aside in one Afrikaans piece — and that SA Rugby's deep financial and structural investment in the EPCR makes any such exit illogical, while pointing out that the most vocal critics conveniently ignore the structural inequities within the competition itself.
Giteau Law debate flares as Mo'unga eligibility row divides All Black voices
Parsons draws a line between backing a Giteau Law and supporting a narrow eligibility carve-out for Mo'unga specifically — the distinction matters as NZ Rugby wrestles with whether their contracted fly-half can face the Springboks this August.
Jake White: Henry's All Blacks return is a 'masterстroke' — and he's no ordinary selector
White calls Henry's return a masterstroke — not because of his selector credentials, but because of the psychological and cultural weight he brings to a rebuilding All Blacks camp. White also makes a pointed broader argument about the game's failure to learn from history, using his own 2007 World Cup experience as a case study.
McCloskey admits 'Zombie' has gotten under Irish skin — and Bok fans know it
McCloskey openly admits the Springbok fanbase's 'Zombie' takeover has gotten under Irish skin, framing it as part of a rivalry that's grown noticeably edgier since South Africa joined the URC.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.
Schools rugby workload debate heats up as Noordvaal Cup kicks off
A schoolboy rugby column using the Noordvaal Cup's opening round — and Menlopark's below-par performance — to make a broader case for SARU capping player workload, with schools festivals and expanding tournament calendars raising real concerns about injury and burnout in the Springbok pipeline.
Hansen: Wellington told us more about the All Blacks than the Springboks
Hansen argues the Wellington result revealed more about All Black confusion than Springbok dominance, while cautioning against scoreline fixation — and backing the new-look All Blacks to learn from the Greatest Rivalry tour.
Hansen backs Super Rugby quality — but admits NZ 'miss' SA's presence as Greatest Rivalry Tour looms
Hansen dismisses Super Rugby quality concerns but admits NZ misses the regular test of facing South African rugby — and sees Rennie's Greatest Rivalry Tour as the ideal World Cup warm-up.
Hansen: Stop Trying to Be Rassie
Steve Hansen warns that the rugby world's obsession with copying Rassie Erasmus' Springbok blueprint is stifling tactical innovation across the game.
Hansen: Stop trying to copy Rassie — it won't work
Steve Hansen argues that the rugby world's obsession with copying Rassie's Springbok formula is misguided — and explains why imitation won't get rival teams where they want to go.
Hansen to Rennie: Borrow from the Boks, but don't become them
Hansen warns Rennie against copying the Springbok model wholesale, arguing great coaches identify what suits their own culture and player pool — and that the All Blacks have distinct strengths worth building around on their own terms.
SA Rugby's Lions Dilemma: Oberholzer Flags the Cost of 2021 as Beyond29 Rethink Gathers Pace
Oberholzer calls a potential Lions snub 'tragic', citing the revenue-free 2021 tour, while the Beyond29 review quietly explores France, Japan, and the Americas as alternative destinations.
Carter flags Bok clashes as the All Blacks' season-defining test under Rennie
Dan Carter says the Bok Tests will define the All Blacks' season under Rennie — a signal of just how much weight the Rugby Championship clashes carry for New Zealand's rebuilding project.
Carter backs All Blacks to rise to the challenge — but consistency remains the question
Dan Carter backs Rennie's All Blacks to thrive under pressure, but the consistency question that plagued Robertson's tenure hasn't gone away — and the Springboks aren't waiting.
SA Rugby's School-to-Elite Pipeline: Are We Fast-Tracking Too Soon?
Mark Keohane questions whether South Africa's schools system is pushing players into elite rugby too quickly — and what that means for long-term development.
Genia's Blueprint: Build a Midfield Monster to Match the Boks
Will Genia argues Australia must build around a Kerevi-Suaalii power midfield to match the Springboks' physicality — and says Super Rugby intensity is non-negotiable preparation for a home World Cup.
End the lineout trial and ditch the first-name friendliness, says ex-refs boss
Ex-IRFU referees chief Owen Doyle calls for the crooked lineout throw trial to be scrapped at World Rugby's June meeting, and argues that referee chumminess with players is undermining discipline on the field.
Genia backs Kerevi-Suaalii axis as Australia's best weapon against the Boks
Will Genia is calling for Samu Kerevi's recall to partner Joseph Suaalii in a midfield combination he believes can match Springbok muscle at the 2027 World Cup.