The Springboks and All Blacks are both eager for a morale-boosting win, after patchy performances so far this year from both.
An epic at Eden Park between the top two ranked teams in world rugby should usually be a mouthwatering prospect for not just the fans of the Springboks and All Blacks, but also many neutrals around the world.
But a nervy encounter between two teams desperate for a morale-boosting win could be on the cards, and might slightly dampen what has been an eagerly anticipated match-up since the fixtures was locked in some time ago.
Since the All Blacks were stunned by Ireland 2-1 during their three-game home series in 2022, they have lost quite a bit of the “invincibility aura” that they have carried ever since rugby turned professional in 1995.
That series loss came during a run that saw the All Blacks lose six out of eight games, between the end of November 2021, when they lost to Ireland and France on their end-of-year-tour, and August 2022, when they went down to Argentina at home.
That put previous coach Ian Foster’s job under immense pressure, and almost led to him being replaced before the 2023 World Cup, but the team managed to turn things around, winning 15, losing two and drawing one of their next 18 matches.
They reached the 2023 showpiece final, and despite losing captain Sam Cane to a first half red card, were only edged 12-11 by the Boks in a thriller in Paris.
2024
Since the start of 2024 the All Blacks have won 15 out of 20 games, but two losses each to the Boks and Argentina and an away loss against France, has shown that they are still a beatable prospect.
Their uninspiring 3-0 home series win over a B- and C-string France, and their 29-23 defeat against Argentina in their last outing two weekends ago also indicates that they haven’t hit their rhythm yet this year.
However, neither have the Boks who after a superb 2024 season have shown genuine frailties so far this year.
Last year the Boks won 11 out of 13 matches, and should probably have won them all, as they would have been worthy victors in their two one-point defeats against Ireland and Argentina.
This year, however, has been a different story, as the Boks have looked unconvincing on a number of occasions.
Funnily enough, their opening match of the season, a 54-7 win over the invitational Barbarians in the wet in Cape Town has arguably been their best performance, while their 45-0 shutout of Italy in Gqeberha was also a decent effort.
Wins over Italy (42-24) in the first Test at Loftus, Georgia (55-10), and the Wallabies (30-22) were all patchy performances, while they were well beaten by the Aussies 38-22 at Ellis Park. So, the Boks themselves are not in great form, and coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that the Rugby Championship is wide open, with all four teams in with a chance.
Wide open
“It’s only one game (win) for all four teams. So, I guess it’s pretty open. Last year, it wasn’t the same. We’re playing New Zealand away from home. That’s obviously a massive challenge,” said Erasmus.
“We would have loved to have won the first two games against Australia but we only achieved it in one. And we’re currently third on the table. I guess Australia’s tail is a little bit up, and Argentina obviously feel good about themselves because they’re really playing well.
“But yeah, I think us and New Zealand, neither of us are really hitting our straps currently. They had a loss and we had one loss. We are big rivals. We’ve been coming here a long time and the games have been really, really close in the last few years, even in the World Cup final.”
A historic first win at Eden Park in the professional era, and since 1937, is on the cards for the Boks, and that will add pressure on the reigning world champions, although the All Blacks will also be under heavy pressure having lost their last four games to the Boks, and this game being on home soil.
“For us, history is obviously a big thing, and there’s (always) a big thing made about Eden Park. So for us it’s a nervous week. We’re confident that we can do well,” explained Erasmus.
“But, we’re experiencing the same pressure as they are. We are two teams that have a lot of respect for each other. But then also internally, I think both teams believe they can win the match.”
