New Zealand’s All Blacks have played South Africa’s Springboks 97 times since 1921, the All Blacks have won 58 matches, lost 36 times and drawn three.
The All Blacks 58 wins give them a record of winning 60% of their matches against the Springboks regardless of venue.
- New Zealand has won 12 of their last 14 Tests against South Africa, including a 32-30 win in their most recent encounter.
- South Africa picked up a 36-34 victory over New Zealand in their last clash in New Zealand and will be looking to win consecutive iterations of such fixtures for just the third time in Test history (1937 & 2008/2009).
- New Zealand has won 22 of their last 25 Tests (L3), including their previous two on the bounce.
- The Kiwis have won 20 of their previous 24 Tests played at Westpac Stadium; however, they have lost two of their last three at the venue, including the two-point defeat to the Boks.
- South Africa have won three of their last four Tests after having won only two of their six before that run.
- The Springboks have won only two of their last 12 games away from home in The Rugby Championship; though, they will be looking to pick up back-to-back wins in such fixtures for the first time since 2013.
- New Zealand (77%) and South Africa (62%) have the two highest win rates of any Tier 1 teams in Test rugby history.
- The All Blacks need six points to become the first team in Test rugby history to score 16,000 points – no other side is yet to break 14,000.
- The Boks scored two tries in the final quarter of their 35-17 win over Australia in Round 1 of The Rugby Championship 2019 – as many as they had managed in that period across the entire 2018 campaign.
- Ngani Laumape gained 7.2 metres per carry in Round 1 of The Rugby Championship, the most of any player to make at least 10 carries.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
It’s almost time for the anthems and the Haka in Wellington.
The All Blacks have named a reshuffled but experienced match-day 23, while the Springboks have gone with what looks to be Rassie Erasmus’s World Cup starting XV, give or take a handful of players.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! Handré Pollard gets us underway at the Cake Tin for the sport’s biggest rivalry. The previous two Tests between these great rugby nations have been classics with only two points deciding the matches. This should be a cracker.
2.00: Richie Mo’unga is charged down inside his 22 and snaffled by Franco Mostert. The Kiwis recycle and clear the ball down the field. The Boks’ first use of the ball goes 10 phases before winning the game’s first penalty.
3.00: PENALTY! Pollard splits the uprights from 40 metres out and the Boks lead. 0-3
4.00: Mo’unga is charged down again. The Springboks’ rush defence is causing the first-five problems. South Africa is winning all the 50/50s.
5.00: Beauden Barrett clears a good kick to near halfway to relieve his side. The Boks are all over the Kiwis.
7.00: South Africa has lost two of their own lineouts in these early stages, the only blemish so far. Makazole Mapimpi’s pressure wins his side another kickable penalty after Ben Smith gets pinged by the ref. The Springboks’ line-speed is causing havoc.
8.00: Pollard goes to the corner.
9.00: The All Blacks do not contest the lineout. A couple of phases later, Sonny Bill Williams infringes at a ruck. Pollard calls for the tee, this time.
10.00: PENALTY! Pollard doubles the lead. 0-6
12.00: The All Blacks get their hands on the ball, winning a couple of penalties. Barrett calls for the tee.
13.00: MISS! Oops! Barrett pushes his kick wide of the sticks. 0-6
15.00: Steve Hansen’s men have been sloppy, so far. The scrums have been evenly matched while the hosts have had the best of the lineouts.
17.00: Damian De Allende is used as a battering ram at first receiver from a scrum, by the visitors. Faf de Klerk is kicking all the turnover possession, which has been a criticism of the halfback.
19.00: Erasmus will be happy with his side’s opening quarter display, but they are kicking away possession.
20.00: Lukhanyo Am is penalised for holding. Good defending by the Kiwis and TJ Perenara, who won the penalty.
22.00: Pieter-Steph du Toit’s counter-ruck almost wins the Boks a turnover, but the All Blacks get lucky, a boot kicking the ball back onto their side. However, they make another handling mistake. Scrum to the Boks.
23.00: Pollard breaks blind, but his pass to Cheslin Kolbe is too high and in front of the flyer. Kolbe scored in both of The Rugby Championship matches, last year.
25.00: South Africa have a scrum inside the All Blacks’ 22. Pollard’s bomb bounces away from Barrett, who knocks on under pressure from De Allende. It’s the sixth handling error by the home side.
26.00: Rieko Ioane strays offside before De Klerk’s grubber is cleaned up by Barrett. Mr Nic Berry has spoken to Kieran Read for the second time – where is the YELLOW CARD!
27.00: MISS! Pollard misses a sitter. That is poor from the flyhalf. 0-6
31.00: Good work by Kwagga smith won a scrum after forcing Perenara to knock on, then Steven Kitshoff wins a penalty at the breakdown.
33.00: The game is error-strewn but entertaining, none-the-less. South Africa has enjoyed two-thirds territory and possession but cannot find a five-pointer despite having the Kiwis on the ropes for much of the half.
35.00: Eben Etzebeth wins a lineout steal, Kolbe goes Route One before Brodie Retallick hits him with a thunderous tackle.
37.00: SUCKER PUNCH and TRY against the run of play! Sonny Bill sends a pass to Barrett on the touchline after Duane Vermeulen’s knock-on cedes possession. The 28-year-old beats Mapimpi and races down the sideline before offloading to Jack Goodhue, who scores his third Test try. 5-6
39.00: CONVERSION! Barrett puts the All Blacks ahead. 7-6
41.00: The All Blacks have withstood the Boks’ barrage and lead at the break.
The halftime score was New Zealand 7 South Africa 6
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Wellington.
43.00: The All Blacks have gone eight phases, but been pushed back 20 metres by some tough Boks’ tackling. Barrett, eventually, goes to the boot.
44.00: South Africa’s turn to use the pill. It’s some slow ball, however, before losing the ball.
45.00: Another eight-phase attack by the All Blacks is repelled. Williams’ pass to Ioane was forward. Both sides start to ring the changes and De Klerk leaves the field for an HIA after tackling Ioane.
47.00: Perenara wins another penalty, getting to the breakdown and poaching the ball. Mo’unga boots the ball to the 22.
48.00: Another penalty; Barrett calls for the tee.
49.00: PENALTY! Barrett extends the lead, bringing up 99 points versus the Boks. 10-6
52.00: Not only have the All Blacks been error-prone, but their high-ball defending is also terrible. Yet another Pollard bomb is not taken by one of the back three, putting the Kiwis under pressure.
54.00: South Africa seems to be running out of ideas after several phases of crash-ball. Pollard is going to the boot every time the Boks hit a wall. Erasmus will be wary his men are having to make lots of tackles.
55.00: MISS! Barrett’s kick is wide. 10-6
57.00: Frans Steyn has entered the fray for his 58th Test. He has been around for donkey’s years and should have had a ton, by now.
59.00: South Africa is still in this game, but they need some possession and to start holding onto the ball. De Klerk will not return, on comes Herschel Jantjies’, last weekend’s star in the Boks’ win over Australia.
60.00: South Africa have a penalty advantage after a fantastic scrum. Tendai Mtawarira and Trevor Nyakane, just on for their first scrum, win the penalty.
61.00: PENALTY! Pollard makes it a one-point ball-game. 10-9
63.00: Kieran Read knocks on with his side near the opposition’s 22. South Africa go wide before kicking to touch.
65.00: South Africa gives away a kickable penalty outside their 22. Mo’unga calls for the tee.
67.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga slots the three points. 13-9
71.00: Erasmus has his head on his arms on his desk after Willie Le Roux has to dot down and concede a five-metre scrum.
73.00: A scuffle breaks out after the Kiwis win a penalty inside South Africa’s 22. Francois Louw is the man who is pinged, but the ball looked to be lost forward by Sam Whitelock at the ruck. REFEREE! Whitelock is bleeding from the face.
75.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga adds another three. 16-9
77.00: Another scrum-penalty to the Boks. Big chance here for South Africa.
80.00: TRY! Oh, my word! It’s that man Herschel Jantjies collects a high-ball, beating Aaron Smith and juggling the ball before scoring a crucial try. It’s his third in two Tests. 16-14
81.00: CONVERSION! POLLARD TIES THE GAME. 16-ALL
FULL TIME
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The final score is New Zealand 16 (7) South Africa 16 (6)
Scorers
New Zealand
Tries – Goodhue
Pen – B. Barrett, Mo’unga (2)
Con – B. Barrett
Drop –
Cards –
South Africa
Tries – H. Jantjies
Pen – Pollard (3)
Con – Pollard
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Ref 1: Angus Gardner (RA
Assistant Ref 2: Shuhei Kubo (JRFU)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (RFU)
Teams
New Zealand
15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Thomas Perenara, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody.
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Dalton Papalii, 21 Aaron Smith, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 George Bridge.
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Albertus Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Rudolph Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel.
