There has been palpable excitement in the Springbok camp this week as they prepare for the second Test against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
After a humbling defeat at Ellis Park, Saturday’s encounter in Cape Town presents a shot at redemption for the Springboks, and it’s also a match that the home team must win if they want to keep their hopes of wining the series alive.
Both teams have made a few changes from the opening encounter, while Cheslin Kolbe and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu have been drafted into the Springbok starting lineup after Kurt-Lee Arendse and Handre Pollard dropped out.
There has also been a late change to the match referee as Nika Amashukeli has been ruled out with illness. Angus Gardner (Australia) will now officiate this clash.
The match at the DHL Stadium kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
KEEP TRACK OF THE LIVE SCORING AS THE SPRINGBOKS AND ALL BLACKS GO INTO BATTLE AGAIN
HOW THE TEAMS WILL LINE UP
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 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 Manie Libbok.
All Blacks: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 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 Tuipoluto, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referee 1: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referee 2: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Stats and facts:
Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 111, Won: 43, Lost: 64, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 866; Points against: 2 302; Tries scored: 182; Tries conceded: 253. Win %: 37,7%.
Miscellaneous:
- Pieter-Steph du Toit will become the 11th player in Springbok history to feature in 100 Tests on Saturday after making his international debut against Wales in 2013. He will also be the second player in as many weeks to achieve this significant milestone after Damian de Allende earned his 100th last weekend.
- Prop Ox Nche will join the select club of players who have played 50 Tests.
- Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok player of all time to 144 caps.
- Should he take the field, Deon Fourie will become the oldest Springbok player to play in a Test match at 39 years old, surpassing Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits who were 38 years old in their last Test matches.
- This game will mark Fourie’s first game back since the RWC final in France, which also happened to be against the All Blacks, with the Boks winning the match 12-11 to lift the trophy.
- The last time the Springboks met the All Blacks in Cape Town was in the Rugby Championship in 2024, with the Boks winning the match 18-12.
- The Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series marks the first time since 1996 that the All Blacks have embarked on a traditional rugby tour to South Africa.
- The Springboks have won five of the last seven matches between the teams dating back to August 2023.
- With Kolisi starting, the total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 1012 – the highest ever fielded by South Africa. There are 428 caps in the backline, with 584 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 204 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 61, the forwards 73, while the players on the bench average 26.
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