Springboks v All Blacks: The battle for No 1

SOUTH AFRICA v NEW ZEALAND @ DHL STADIUM, CAPE TOWN – KO 5.10PM (SAST) ON SATURDAY

REFEREE NOTES

Angus Gardner (Australia)

Test debut: 9 November, 2011 – Papua New Guinea 78-3 Vanuatu

Tests as referee: 57

• Angus Gardner will referee this fixture for the fourth time but first since South Africa ran out 26-10 winners in the 2022 Rugby Championship.

• New Zealand ran out 41-13 winners on his Rugby Championship debut in Christchurch in September 2016 and a much tighter affair in October 2018, the All Blacks winning 32-30 in Pretoria.

• Gardner was due to referee the third Test in Johannesburg next weekend but stepped in to take charge of this match after Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) was ruled out due to illness.

• South Africa have a W8, L5 record in their 13 previous Tests with Gardner in the middle and are currently on a five-match winning streak that began with the 2022 defeat of New Zealand.

• This run has included wins over England in November 2022, Scotland at Rugby World Cup 2023, Argentina in the 2025 Rugby Championship and France in the Quilter Nations Series last November.

• New Zealand have won 12 of their 16 Tests that Gardner has refereed, including the most recent – 29-19 over France in July 2025.

• Two of their defeats have been significant ones, their first-ever loss to Argentina in November 2020 and their first against Los Pumas on New Zealand soil in August 2024.

• This will be Gardner’s third Test of the year, having overseen Scotland’s 50-40 defeat of France in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations in March and England’s 31-24 victory over Argentina in the Nations Championship in July.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

1921-2026 | Played 111 | South Africa 43 | New Zealand 64 | Draw 4

Points for: South Africa 1 866/New Zealand 2 302 (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

• New Zealand enjoyed their biggest win over South Africa in nine years in Johannesburg last weekend, since they ran out 57-0 winners in North Harbour in September 2017.

• It was the All Blacks’ biggest win over the Springboks in South Africa in a decade, since the 57-15 victory in Durban the previous year.

• New Zealand scored an average of 3.6 points for each of their nine entries into the opposition 22, whereas the Springboks only mustered 0.7 points for each of their 10 visits.

• South Africa played with 13 men for a couple of minutes in the final quarter, after yellow cards to Marco van Staden and Cobus Reinach overlapped.

• New Zealand scored seven unanswered points during that period, with Will Jordan touching down for the second time in the match.

• Fellow wing Josh Moorby, second-row Fabian Holland and openside Luke Jacobson scored the remainder of the All Blacks’ tries, while Ruben Love kicked four conversions.

• Cheslin Kolbe kicked three penalties and converted Andre Esterhuizen’s try for South Africa.

• Sixteen points is South Africa’s lowest score in the five meetings since they beat New Zealand 12-11 in the Rugby World Cup 2023 final.

• New Zealand trailed 13-12 at half-time – the first time in five meetings that this has been the case.

• The teams will play four back-to-back tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, heading to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (5 September) and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, USA (12 September).

BOK TEAM NOTES

• South Africa conceded five tries in a Test for the first time in 15 matches in losing 33-16 to New Zealand last weekend.

• It was only the second time in 89 matches that they have conceded more than four tries in a test and the fourth occasion since Rassie Erasmus first took charge in June 2018.

• The defeat ended South Africa’s 12-match winning streak – their best sequence of results under Erasmus and the most consecutive wins since they achieved 13 in a row between 2007-08.

• It was only the third time South Africa have lost in their last 23 Tests (38-22 v Australia at this venue in August 2025 and 24-17 v New Zealand in September 2025 being the others).

• South Africa have only scored 33 points in their last two matches – equalling the record for the fewest points scored by the Springboks in back-to-back Tests under Erasmus (33 points v England in June 2018: 23-12 and 10-25)

• South Africa conceded multiple yellow cards in a single match for the first time in 24 Tests in the opening encounter with New Zealand.

• South Africa went into the latest Test campaign, which began with a 17-10 win over Argentina, sitting on 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 scored the most points (130) and tries (20) in the Nations Championship in July.

• Strong starters and finishers, seven of South Africa’s tries were 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

• Pieter-Steph du Toit will become the latest Springbok to reach 100 Tests, a week after Damian de Allende did so in Johannesburg.

• Du Toit was originally set to continue as captain but Siya Kolisi has proven his fitness following a hamstring injury and been confirmed to lead the side at six.

• This means Paul de Villiers, the player Kolisi was bracketed alongside in Monday’s team announcement, drops out of the squad entirely.

• Prop Ox Nché brings up his own milestone with 50 Tests in the green and gold.

• Erasmus has made three changes from the 33-16 loss, two enforced by injury with winger Kolbe and scrumhalf Grant Williams ruled out and replaced by Ethan Hooker and Cobus Reinach.

• Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also drops to the bench in favour of the experienced Handré Pollard who sat out the first Test.

• Only Gerhard Steenekamp and Esterhuizen retain their places in a much-changed bench line-up.

• Deon Fourie has been recalled for the first time since the final of RWC 2023, as hooker cover and will beat Victor Matfield’s 11-year-old record as the Springboks’ oldest player if he comes on one month short of his 40th birthday.

COACH NOTES

• 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 32 Tests in his second spell, winning 27 and losing five (84.4%).

• Overall, he has been in charge of 56 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.

ALL BLACK TEAM NOTES

• New Zealand are bidding to win six Tests in a row for the first time since 2022.

• The All Blacks are scoring on average 36 points per game in 2026, while conceding an average of 21.5.

• New Zealand scored five tries against the Springboks last weekend, taking their tally for the year to 23.

• New Zealand are unbeaten in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, having won all four tour games to date (38-21 v Stormers, 54-0 v Sharks, 50-19 v Bulls and 41-35 v Lions) in addition to the first Test win over the Springboks.

• New Zealand average 3.8 points for every entry into the opposition 22 on tour to date, an average that was brought down from above four when they only managed 2.9 points for each of their 14 entries against the Lions on Tuesday.

• The All Blacks won all three of their games in the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere Series preceding this tour – 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 kept the ball in hand across those three matches, making the most passes (723), carries (599), metres (1 767) and post-contact metres (581).

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

• Only two teams 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 retained the joint-highest percentage of kicks (15.79%, along with Australia and Ireland).

• 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 53 tries in just 58 Tests, giving him a strike rate of 0.91 tries per game.

• His try in the 40-21 win over Ireland 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 Ethan de Groot and second-row Josh Lord are ruled out of the second Test due to concussion protocols with the All Blacks having called Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Jamie Hannah out to South Africa as cover.

• Hannah came off the bench against the Lions on Tuesday but Tu’ungafasi was a late withdrawal due to illness with Xavier Numia replacing him among the replacements.

• Prop George Bower will replace De Groot this weekend with Vaa’i shifting in the second row and Simon Parker filling the vacated No 6 shirt.

• The only other change in the starting line-up sees Leroy Carter get the nod on the left wing over Moorby, who joins Patrick Tuipulotu and Numia on the bench.

• Playmaker Richie Mo’unga returned to the All Blacks jersey for the first time since the RWC 2023 final when he played against the Lions on Tuesday.

• Loose-forward Anton Segner has become the latest player to be ruled out of the tour and return home, having undergone minor surgery to clear out an infection in his ankle joint.

COACH NOTES

• 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 won the last five Tests they’ve played at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, having lost the opening match at the venue in 2021 (22-17 against the British & Irish Lions).

WORLD RUGBY MEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• South Africa will secure an immediate return to top spot in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings if they avenge last weekend’s loss to New Zealand.

• Back-to-back victories for New Zealand could see their advantage over South Africa grow to as much as 4.28 rating points if they again win by more than 15 points.

• The Springboks cannot fall from second place this weekend as even another heavy defeat would still leave them with a cushion of almost three points over Ireland in third.

Springbok starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker; 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt); 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth; 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

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

South Africa v New Zealand - Saturday @ DHL Stadium, Cape Town (5.10pm)

Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Television Match Official: Brett Cronan (RA)

Split Screen/FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)