Springboks v All Blacks: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

SOUTH AFRICA v NEW ZEALAND @ 10BET ELLIS PARK, JOHANNESBURG ON SATURDAY – KO 5.10PM (SAST)

REFEREE

Matthew Carley (England)

Test debut: 8 March, 2014 – Russia 34-18 Portugal

Tests as referee: 51

• Matthew Carley will referee this fixture for the fourth time, with South Africa having emerged victorious in all three previous meetings.

• Only one of these has come on South African soil, the Springboks winning 18-12 in Cape Town in the 2024 Rugby Championship.

• The others came on Australia’s Gold Coast in the 2021 Rugby Championship (31-29) and at Twickenham in a Rugby World Cup 2023 warm-up match (35-7).

• South Africa lost their first two Tests with Carley in the middle – against Wales (22-20 in June 2018) and Australia (30-17 in September 2021) – but are currently on a seven-match winning run.

• Two of these took place in 2025, a 55-10 victory over Georgia in July and a 24-13 defeat of Ireland in the Quilter Nations Series.

• New Zealand have a W5, L3 record with Carley as referee with all three losses at the hands of South Africa.

• They also won their most recent encounter with the English official in charge, beating Australia 28-14 in the 2025 Rugby Championship.

• This will be Carley’s third Test of the year, having become the 19th official to reach 50 Tests in the middle in February with Scotland’s 26-23 victory over Wales in Cardiff before overseeing the Scots’ 33-17 win against Fiji in the Nations Championship last month.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

1921-2025 | Played 110 | South Africa 43 | New Zealand 63 | Draw 4

Points for: South Africa 1 850/New Zealand 2 269 (Avg. score: 17-21)

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

Biggest winning margin: South Africa 33 (43-10 on 13 September, 2025)/New Zealand 57 (57-0 on 16 September, 2017)

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

• South Africa have won five of the last six meetings, with the All Blacks’ only win in that time coming at ‘fortress’ Eden Park in 2024.

• South Africa won by a record margin and inflicted the heaviest defeat suffered by the All Blacks in test history when they won the last encounter in 2025, 43-10 in Wellington.

• The four matches prior to that record-breaking match had been decided by seven points or fewer.

• The All Blacks took a slender 10-7 lead into half-time in Wellington after debutant Leroy Carter went over just 17 minutes in, with Damian McKenzie converting and scoring a penalty before Cheslin Kolbe crossed for the Springboks.

• Kolbe crossed again shortly after the restart as the Springboks proceeded to reel off 36 points without reply.

• Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman and Andre Esterhuizen added further tries, while Manie Libbok kicked four conversions and a penalty.

• In winning the match, the Springboks retained the Freedom Cup.

• South Africa and New Zealand have met in two Rugby World Cup finals, with the Springboks winning both, at this ground in 1995 and at the Stade de France in 2023.

• New Zealand have been ahead at half-time in the last four meetings but have gone on to win just one of those matches.

• The teams will play four back-to-back Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, after this weekend heading to DHL Stadium in Cape Town (29 August), FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (5 September) and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, USA (12 September).

SA TEAM NOTES

• South Africa’s tally of 17 points against Argentina a fortnight ago was the lowest they have managed in a match since beating New Zealand 12-11 in the RWC 2023 final.

• Converted tries from wing Edwill van der Merwe and No 8 Cameron Hanekom helped the Springboks to secure a 12th straight win.

• It is South Africa’s best run under Rassie Erasmus and the most consecutive wins since they achieved 13 in a row between 2007-08.

• South Africa have only lost two of their last 22 Tests (38-22 v Australia at this venue in August 2025 and 24-17 v New Zealand in September 2025).

• Against Argentina, the scores were tied at 10-10 at half-time in Buenos Aires, the second time the Springboks have been level at the break in 2026 (also 14-14 v Scotland).

• They were ahead in the other two Nations Championship fixtures (17-14 v England and 19-0 v Wales).

• The last time South Africa have trailed at half-time was in the 32-17 win over France in November, when they trailed by a point (14-13) at the break.

• South Africa are top of the Nations Championship southern hemisphere standings on points difference, having picked up maximum points from their first three fixtures.

• The Springboks’ points difference is +81, 30 better than fellow unbeaten side New Zealand.

• With the win over Scotland in round two, South Africa became the first team since England in 2002-03 to beat every Men’s Six Nations and Rugby Championship team in a 12-month period.

• South Africa have scored the most points (130) and tries (20) in the Nations Championship in July.

• Strong starters and finishers, seven of South Africa’s tries have been scored in the first quarter and seven in the final quarter.

• The Springboks had the most entries into the opposition 22 across the first three rounds (43).

SQUAD NOTES

• Hooker Johan Grobbelaar and utility forward Elrigh Louw have rejoined the Springboks squad, having played 40 minutes in the Bulls’ 50-19 defeat to New Zealand last Saturday.

COACH NOTES

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

• The win over Les Bleus at the Stade de France on 8 November was his 50th as head coach.

• He has overseen 31 Tests in his second spell, winning 27 and losing four (87.1%).

• Overall, he has been in charge of 55 tests (head coach/director of rugby) and moved past Jake White as the Springboks’ most experienced coach during the Nations Championship.

• 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.

NZL TEAM NOTES

• New Zealand are unbeaten in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, having won all three tour games to date (38-21 v Stormers, 54-0 v Sharks and 50-19 v Bulls).

• Fifteen different players have scored tries, with Josh Moorby and Leroy Carter leading the way on three apiece.

• New Zealand are playing their first test since the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere Series concluded in July.

• The All Blacks won all three of their games – beating France 34-32, Italy 47-17 and Ireland 40-21 with a bonus point to sit second to South Africa on points difference.

• New Zealand have kept the ball in hand, making the most passes (723), carries (599), metres (1 767) and post-contact metres (581).

• New Zealand are also ranked first for defenders beaten (126) and are second for clean breaks (46).

• Only two teams have kicked the ball fewer times in open play than the All Blacks’ total of 57, but they have executed the most 50:22s (three).

• New Zealand have retained the joint-highest percentage of kicks (15.79%, along with Australia and Ireland).

• Will Jordan is the leading try scorer in the competition with six, his hat-trick against Italy seeing him break Doug Howlett’s long-standing record of 49 tries for the All Blacks.

• Jordan now has 51 in just 57 Tests, giving him a strike rate of 0.89 tries per game.

• His most recent try came in the 40-21 win over Ireland, which preserved the All Blacks’ 32-year unbeaten record at Eden Park.

• Patrick Tuipulotu, captain Ardie Savea and Asafo Aumua also crossed in the first half and Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown went over in the second.

• New Zealand scored seven tries in round two against Italy, with Sam Darry, Cam Roigard, Ethan de Groot and Tupou Vaa'i crossing the line in addition to Jordan’s treble.

• New Zealand overcame France 34-32 in Christchurch in round one to get Dave Rennie’s reign as All Blacks head coach off to a winning start.

• Jordan and Roigard scored twice as the All Blacks profited from having the highest percentage of quick ruck ball in round one (81%).

• SQUAD NOTES

• Prop Ollie Norris has joined winger Caleb Clarke and centre Billy Proctor (both shoulder injuries) in being ruled out of the remainder of the series.

• Norris will return home from South Africa after sustaining a cartilage injury in his knee with the uncapped Saula Ma'u called up as a replacement.

• Hooker George Bell also headed back to New Zealand before the tour began with a calf injury with the uncapped Billy Slater replacing him.

• Meanwhile, Crusaders scrumhalf Noah Hotham has been called into the All Blacks squad as injury cover for Cortez Ratima, who picked up a knee injury against the Bulls and continues to be assessed.

COACH NOTES

• Dave Rennie was appointed as Scott Robertson’s successor in March and has yet to be on the losing side.

• He is the first person of Pasifika heritage to hold the role of All Blacks head coach.

• Rennie led Kobe Steelers to the Japan Rugby League One title in June before officially starting his new role with the All Blacks.

• Rennie coached Australia from late 2019 to early 2023, winning just 13 of his 34 Tests in charge (38%) – giving him the lowest winning record of any Wallabies coach with at least 30 Tests.

• The three wins over South Africa were the highlight of his time in charge, while a first-ever Wallabies’ defeat to Italy was probably the low point.

• Before taking on the Australia job, Rennie coached Glasgow for three years and led them to the PRO14 final in 2019, playing an attacking brand of rugby.

• Having cut his coaching teeth as an assistant at Wellington Lions and the Hurricanes, Rennie led New Zealand to three consecutive Junior World Championship titles (2008-10) with 15 wins from 15.

• He was then appointed head coach of the struggling Chiefs and transformed them into winners, with the Waikato-based team claiming back-to-back Super Rugby titles in his first two years in charge.

• He was the first coach to win the Super Rugby title on his first attempt.

• Rennie played centre/wing for Wellington and the Cook Islands in an uncapped match in 1990.

DID YOU KNOW…?

• South Africa have 10 wins to New Zealand’s six in past encounters at the iconic Ellis Park.

• The All Blacks have beaten the Springboks 63 times, more than any nation other than Australia.

WORLD RUGBY MEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• New Zealand will return to No 1 for the first time since last September if they beat South Africa in the first Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

• A New Zealand victory by more than 15 points would see them take a 1.82 point cushion into the second Test in Cape Town next weekend.

• South Africa currently hold a 1.68 rating point advantage over New Zealand, which could grow to as much as 4.18 points if the Springboks win by more than 15 points.

• A smaller margin would still give South Africa a 3.34-point cushion.

• Neither side can drop below second this weekend.

Springbok starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse; 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (capt), 6 Paul de Villiers; 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth; 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.

All Black starting XV: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby; 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard; 8 Ardie Savea (capt), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Tupou Vaa’i; 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Josh Lord; 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot. Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Anton Segner, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Leroy Carter.

South Africa v New Zealand - Saturday @ 10bet Ellis Park, Johannesburg (5.10pm)

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)