We look into some of the history of the rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa, ahead of their crucial Rugby Championship meeting on Saturday; Tune into Sky Sports Action (8.05am) for coverage of Round 2 Rugby Championship clash between New Zealand and South Africa in Auckland
New Zealand vs South Africa – a rugby rivalry of epic proportions, takes place on Sky Sports this Saturday from 8am
Great rivalries in rugby conjure up memories of England vs France, Ireland vs England, New Zealand vs Australia, Munster vs Leinster, Scotland vs England. But for many, New Zealand vs South Africa stands atop the list.
The All Blacks host the Springboks this Saturday in the latest installment of the fixture, live on Sky Sports Action from 8.05am, in what many are billing as the key fixture of the condensed 2023 Rugby Championship campaign.
The sides have met 103 times in history, with the All Blacks registering 61 wins, the Springboks 38, and four draws. But numbers don’t come close to doing their rivalry and connection justice.
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As former Springbok wing Ashwin Willemse told Sky Sports some years ago, growing up in South Africa with rugby as your sport of choice brought hopes of playing against one team: The All Blacks.
“We grow up in a nation where there’s one game that we all hoped to one day play and that’s a Test match against the All Blacks,” Willemse said.
“I think this game captures the essence of sport; mutual respect, understanding, sportsmanship and gratitude. It is all those amazing virtues that have been captured through a big rugby rivalry.
“It represents a lifetime of dreams, hopes, and beliefs. It all culminates into that moment, that is what it has meant to me to play against the All Blacks.
For those growing up in South Africa, facing the All Blacks and the Haka is the ultimate
“It is arguably the greatest derby in world rugby. There is a lifelong tradition between the two teams and there is a tremendous amount of respect.”
Even during a spell either side of professionalism when New Zealand were the form side in the world by a considerable margin, it was the Springboks who gave them the most trouble.
Indeed, while the All Blacks have toiled to three World Cup triumphs (1987, 2011, 2015), losing out on several more while being the most talented side, South Africa have forced their way to as many titles (1995, 2007, 2019).
It’s a blockbuster fixture. The fastest, most lethal nation in the world meets the most powerful, in a mix of often savage physicality and huge drama.
In last year’s Rugby Championship, the Springboks hosted New Zealand in Mbombela and blew them away 26-10. They had their foot on the throat of Ian Foster’s side – who were coming off the back of a historic 2-1 series defeat at home to Ireland too – but yet the All Blacks recovered to win 35-23 in Johannesburg a week on, likely saving Foster’s job.
Highlights of the 2022 Rugby Championship opener between South Africa and New Zealand, as the Boks proved too strong
Not only that, they went on to lift the title ahead of the Boks, as they so often have done in the Rugby Championship and Tri-Nations. For all of South Africa and Australia’s threats over the years, the All Blacks remain the dominant side in this competition, winning an unbelievable 19 titles from a possible 27 since 1996.
Highlights of the 2022 Rugby Championship clash between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park, as the All Blacks hit back
In a reduced three-week format ahead of the Rugby World Cup starting in France at the start of September, this year’s championship is a sprint rather than a marathon.
The last two reduced formats of the Rugby Championship have seen New Zealand fail to claim the title in 2019 and 2015. In fact, they are the only two years since Argentina joined the tournament in 2012 – transforming the Tri-Nations to the Rugby Championship – in which the All Blacks have not lifted the trophy.
The Wallabies won in 2015, while the Springboks did so in 2019. Might lightning strike a third time? There’s a trophy at stake, and winning it would mark the ideal preparation for the World Cup.
Off the back of a first round in which South Africa thrashed the Wallabies on home soil, and New Zealand destroyed the Pumas in Argentina, this Test in Auckland should decide the destination of the title in 2023.
Highlights of the 2023 Rugby Championship clash between South Africa and Australia in Pretoria
Highlights of the 2023 Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and New Zealand in Mendoza
Whet the appetite with three of the greatest meetings in history below…
South Africa 30-32 New Zealand – Rugby Championship – October 2018
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Five years ago, an Ardie Savea try in the 79th minute gave New Zealand a dramatic 32-30 win over South Africa in Pretoria.
With the Boks having defeated the All Blacks 36-34 in Wellington three weeks previous, Steve Hansen’s men had revenge on their minds, yet a magnificent South Africa performance saw them race into a 30-13 lead.
Indeed, the Boks looked certain to record their first back-to-back wins against the All Blacks in nine years after Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe scored, along with Handre Pollard adding three conversions and three penalties, only for Savea to steal the game in the final play.
Ardie Savea scored a try in the 79th minute to give New Zealand a dramatic 32-30 win over South Africa in Pretoria
Aaron Smith, Rieko Ioane and Scott Barrett went over for New Zealand – the latter with just four minutes to play – while Beauden Barrett added a conversion and two penalties.
That was all before the visitors earned one more chance to snatch the Test in a nail-biting finish when Savea won a penalty at the breakdown, and that was all the All Blacks needed with the 52,000-capacity crowd left stunned as Savea powered over from short range and Richie Mo’unga held his nerve with the conversion for the win.
The Boks had suffered defeat seemingly from the jaws of victory.
South Africa 22-29 New Zealand – Tri-Nations – August 2010
Back in 2010, the All Blacks pulled off a dramatic win over a South Africa team which had won a British and Irish Lions series the previous year – and were the reigning world champions.
New Zealand left it late in Johannesburg with two tries in the final two minutes giving them the victory, which secured the Tri Nations title.
Schalk Burger’s try and the boot of Morne Steyn gave the hosts a 16-14 lead at half-time.
Late All Blacks tries stole a 29-22 win away in South Africa in 2010, and with it the Tri-Nations title
The Springboks were 22-17 in front up until the 78th minute when Richie McCaw levelled the match with a disputed try, which the hosts claimed had featured a forward pass.
The drama was not finished though as Israel Dagg latched onto Ma’a Nonu’s delivery and went over for the decisive score, which sparked wild celebrations from the New Zealand players.
South Africa 31-29 New Zealand – Rugby Championship – October 2021
Two years ago, in a Covid-disrupted Rugby Championship held in Australia, Elton Jantjies kicked a penalty after the final hooter as South Africa snapped a three-match losing streak in dramatic fashion with a 31-29 win over New Zealand.
The Springboks showed more adventure than they had in their previous three matches in Australia and scored tries through Damian de Allende and Makazole Mapimpi, battling back to overhaul a 20-14 half-time deficit.
South Africa beat New Zealand 31-29 at the death in a classic, intense encounter in the Rugby Championship
Sevu Reece, Ardie Savea and Brad Weber scored tries in the first half for New Zealand at Robina Stadium, and three Jordie Barrett penalties in the second half were not enough to maintain their 100 per cent record in 2021.
The lead changed four times in a frenetic last five minutes but the Springboks kept their nerve to deliver Jantjies the opportunity to secure a famous victory from in front of the posts.
