Springboks v All Blacks: Facts and stats

THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 – SATURDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER

NEW ZEALAND v SOUTH AFRICA – SKY STADIUM, WELLINGTON

KO 7.05pm (8.05am SAST)

Referee

Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Test debut: 11 April, 2015 – Montenegro 29-27 Estonia

Tests as referee: 30

• Nika Amashukeli will take charge of this fixture for the first time.

• New Zealand have a W2, L2 record with the Georgian official in the middle, defeats by Argentina and France falling either side of wins over Japan and Australia.

• The All Blacks last tasted victory with Amashukeli as referee in September 2024, a 33-13 win over Australia in last year’s Rugby Championship.

• South Africa have a W2, L1 record with Amashukeli in the middle, the most recent victory being 24-13 against Argentina in August 2023.

• They won their first Test – 32-29 against Wales in July 2022 – but then slipped to a 19-16 loss to Ireland later that year.

• This will be Amashukeli’s third Test of the year, having overseen England’s 26-25 defeat of France in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and the third test between Australia and the British & Irish Lions in Sydney last month.

• Amashukeli, who turns 31 next week, also refereed Scotland’s win over the Maori All Blacks and the First Nations and Pasifika XV’s loss to the Lions in the July window.

Head-to-head

• Played: 109 – New Zealand leads 63-42, with four draws

• Points for: New Zealand 2 259 / South Africa 1 807 (Avg. score: 21-16)

• Highest score: New Zealand 57 (57-15 on 8 October, 2016 and 57-0 on 16 September, 2017)/South Africa 46 (46-40 on 19 August, 2000)

• Biggest winning margin: New Zealand 57 (57-0 on 16 September, 2017)/South Africa 28 (35-7 on 25 August, 2023)

• First met: 13 August, 1921 – New Zealand 13-5 South Africa – Carisbrook, Dunedin

• Last met: 6 September, 2025 – New Zealand 24-17 South Africa – Eden Park, Auckland

Head-to-head notes

• The winner of this match will take possession of the Freedom Cup.

• New Zealand ended a run of four straight defeats to the Springboks with last weekend’s 24-17 win at Eden Park, extending their unbeaten record at the venue to 51 Tests.

• Four of the last five matches between the teams have produced 43 points or fewer.

• The Springboks are unbeaten on their last two visits to this venue, having drawn their previous encounter with the All Blacks in the New Zealand capital in 2019, 16-16 and won 36-24 the year before.

• Their first-ever meeting in Wellington took place at Athletic Park in 1921 and ended 0-0.

• Overall, the head-to-head record in Wellington is 9-4 to the All Blacks, with two draws.

• New Zealand were exceptionally clinical in last Saturday’s match at Eden Park, scoring three tries from just five visits into the Springboks’ 22.

• Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan crossed in the first half and replacement Quinn Tupaea in the second.

• Jordie Barrett converted the first try before Damian McKenzie replaced him as the All Blacks’ kicker and slotted two conversions and a penalty.

• New Zealand led 14-3 at half-time, with South Africa’s points coming from a Handre Pollard penalty.

• Malcolm Marx and Cobus Reinach scored tries as South Africa rallied in the final quarter, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting both, even though they were reduced to 14 men when Kwagga Smith was sin-binned.

• The victory at Eden Park saw Ardie Savea become the second All Black Test centurion in as many matches after Codie Taylor in round two in Argentina.

• Last year’s meeting in Cape Town, an 18-12 win for South Africa, was the first time the Springboks had prevented the All Blacks from scoring a try in 51 matches, since Cape Town in 2001, when Tony Brown – now a member of the Springboks coaching team – kicked four penalties in a 12-3 victory for the visitors.

Team notes

• New Zealand top The Rugby Championship 2025 standings, having picked up 10 points from their first three games.

• The All Blacks are the tournament’s joint-leading points scorers (88, along with Australia).

• They have conceded the fewest points (70) and tries (seven).

• Super-sub Samisoni Taukei'aho is the tournament’s joint top try-scorer (three, along with Australia’s Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii).

• New Zealand’s scrum (85%) is the least efficient on its feed into the scrum.

• Runners-up in 2024, New Zealand are hoping to go one better and win The Rugby Championship for the 10th time (when all four teams have been involved).

• South Africa are third in The Rugby Championship standings, level with Argentina on five points and with an identical points difference of -15. However, the Springboks have scored one try more.

• The Springboks are the lowest scorers in the tournament with 69 points from their first three games.

• South Africa are one of two teams with a 100% success rate on their feed at the scrum (also Australia).

• They are ranked top for offloads (23).

• The Springboks have kicked the ball 84 times in open play, the joint most in the competition (along with Australia).

• South Africa have slotted 12 of their 14 kicks at goal for a success rate of 86%.

• South Africa’s tackle success rate is just 81%, the lowest in the competition.

• South Africa are the reigning champions of both Rugby World Cup and The Rugby Championship but are no longer the No 1-ranked team in the world.

• The Springboks were replaced at the top of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings by New Zealand after the first weekend of the Rugby Championship.

Team news

• New Zealand hand Paris 2024 Olympian Leroy Carter his Test debut on the left wing, the ninth player to earn a first cap for the All Blacks in 2025.

• Carter comes into a rejigged back three with Jordan lining up on the right wing, a position he occupied after try-scorer Narawa was forced off early with a rib injury and McKenzie to start at fullback for the first time since the 73-0 defeat of Uruguay at Rugby World Cup 2023.

• A third newcomer to the backline is scrumhalf Noah Hotham, who has recovered from injury to make his first appearance of The Rugby Championship 2025.

• Hotham’s half-back partner is Beauden Barrett, who plays his 140th Test for the All Blacks, with brother Jordie and Billy Proctor continuing their midfield combination.

• There are two further changes in the front row, with Taukei’aho replacing Taylor at hooker while he goes through concussion protocols and Tyrel Lomax swapping places with Fletcher Newell at tighthead.

• Captain Scott Barrett and Tupou Vaa’i continue in the engine room with the back-row once again comprising Simon Parker, Savea and Wallace Sititi.

• Brodie McAlister and Ruben Love come onto the bench as a result of the elevation into the starting line-up of Taukei’aho and McKenzie.

• South Africa have made seven changes to the starting line-up for this weekend’s match in Wellington, most of them coming in the backline where only Canan Moodie and Cheslin Kolbe are retained.

• Reinach and Feinberg-Mngomezulu form the new half-back pairing with Damian Willemse to start a Test for the first time in midfield with Moodie switching from the wing to start at outside centre.

• Ethan Hooker earns a first Test start after two appearances off the bench on the left wing with Kolbe and Aphelele Fassi completing the back three at fullback.

• The front row trio of Ox Nche, Marx and Thomas du Toit is unchanged but Ruan Nortje has a new second-row partner in Lood de Jager.

• Siya Kolisi shifts to his more familiar six shirt and assumes the captaincy with Jasper Wiese coming in at No 8 having completed his four-match suspension following his red card against Italy in July.

• Pieter-Steph du Toit completes the back-row triumvirate.

• Four players come onto the bench for this weekend’s rematch in Marnus van der Merwe, RG Snyman, Manie Libbok and Andre Esterhuizen.

Coach notes

• Scott Robertson was appointed New Zealand coach in March 2024, on a four-year deal through to the end of Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.

• This is his 21st Test in charge and already he has lost five matches.

• The 51-year-old has overseen five losses in fewer matches (20) than the last four head coaches before him – Ian Foster, Steve Hansen, Graham Henry and John Mitchell.

• Robertson played 23 Tests for the All Blacks as a loose forward between 1998 and 2002.

• He guided the Crusaders to six consecutive Super Rugby titles as head coach from 2017 onwards, having won four with the Christchurch-based team as a player.

• The Bay of Plenty-born Robertson cut his coaching teeth with Canterbury, leading the team to three Premiership titles as head coach.

• During his time with Canterbury, Robertson also coached the New Zealand U20 side to the World Rugby U20 Championship crown in 2015.

• Rassie Erasmus returned to the Springboks head coach role in February 2024, signing a contract that takes him up to the end of 2027.

• He has overseen 19 Tests in his second spell as head coach, winning 15 and losing four.

• Erasmus was the mastermind behind the Springboks’ back-to-back Rugby World Cup successes of 2019 and 2023 – as head coach and then director of rugby.

• He also led South Africa to their first Rugby Championship title in five years in 2024 and a clean sweep of victories in the Autumn Nations Series that followed.

• His first reign in charge started with a defeat to Wales in Washington DC in June 2018.

• Erasmus won 36 caps for South Africa as a back-row forward from 1997-2001.

Rankings permutations

• South Africa will reclaim their status as the number one team in the world after a four-week hiatus if they beat New Zealand and retain the Freedom Cup.

• A draw will be enough for them to climb back above Ireland into second.

• If beaten, New Zealand will drop to second – or third if the margin is more than 15 points.

• Otherwise, a second win over the Springboks in as many weeks will increase the All Blacks’ advantage at the top of the rankings to at least 2.02 points.

• A win by more than 15 points would see New Zealand move 2.27 points clear of Ireland in second.

New Zealand v South Africa at Sky Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand - 9.05am (SAST)

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (RA), Jordan Way (RA)

Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

Split Screen/FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)

All Black starting XV: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter; 10 Beaden Barrett, 9 Noah Hotham; 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Simon Parker; 5 Tupou Vaa'i, 4 Scott Barrett (capt); 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ethan de Groot. Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Ruben Love.

Springbok starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker; 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt); 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager; 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.