The clock is winding down to the kick off of the first of four Tests between the rugby-mad nations.
The last time the Springboks and All Blacks met on the rugby field, in Wellington in the Rugby Championship last September, the Boks won 43-10. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Taking on the Springboks on their home turf is going to be more difficult than winning the World Cup, according to All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, as the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) Test series prepares to kick off at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The teams will battle it out in three matches in South Africa – two on the Highveld in Joburg, and one on the coast in Cape Town – while the final match of the series will take place in Baltimore in the US.
The three games in SA will likely take precedence for both teams, while the Boks will be eager to continue their top form against the All Blacks that has seen them win five of their last six matches against them.
On top of all this, the Boks are on a 12-match winning run and looking to keep that streak going. Should they win all four Tests in the RGR series they will get a chance to break the 17-Test record, set in 1997 and 1998, when the Nations Championship resumes in Europe in November.
All Blacks boss Rennie was asked earlier this week if it would be more difficult to beat the Boks in the upcoming series than trying to win a World Cup, which he affirmed, and he also admitted that they would learn a lot ahead of next year’s showpiece event in Australia.
Respect for each other
“It will be a lot tougher than a World Cup, but facing the Springboks will be great. Both sides will be about a year out from the World Cup when this series finishes so we will certainly learn a lot,” said Rennie.
“We’re well aware of the quality of the side that we’ll play against and the pressure that they’ll bring. Certainly the line speed will be a hell of a lot higher than what we faced on the weekend (against the Bulls), and then the intensity throughout.
“We’ve got a number of guys who have played a lot of footy here in South Africa and we know we’re going to have to be really good. We’re going to have to play at our best and force them to be below their best.”
Bok boss Rassie Erasmus said he was pleased all the focus was now on the All Blacks series, with no other matches to still be played or distract fans.
The build-up to this series saw both teams play Tests in the Nations Championship last month knowing this series was to come.
Bracing for battle
“We looked forward to these games as much as you did when you were asking about it while we were playing the other matches,” said Erasmus this week, referring to the Boks’ earlier clashes against the Barbarians, England, Scotland, Wales and Argentina.
“We just couldn’t talk about it out of respect for the opposition at the time, but we all appreciate and respect what this series means. I’d love it if the people at Ellis Park create the same atmosphere as that which the people did in Cape Town (when the All Blacks faced the Stormers in their tour opener). The haka was heard 100%, which makes it something special.
“We know how good the All Blacks are. Since 2018, when they were leading the world, we’ve always wondered when they’re going to beat us again, and they will beat us again in future, but hopefully not this weekend.
“Some guys will face the All Blacks for the first time, and they’ve heard from their teammates how intense it is. This is a great occasion and we’re all looking forward to it.”
All Blacks in shape
Rennie added he was happy with the amount of game time his squad had managed to get in during their three tour matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls over the past week-and-a-half, and he was confident that a 30-strong group of players would have what it took to step up to the Boks’ challenge.
“We’ve played a lot of players. All bar three of the touring party have played and got good minutes, which has been good for us. There have been some genuinely high-quality performances from individuals and that’s put a lot of pressure on us (selecting a team),” explained Rennie.
“When we name our side, we’re going to leave out some really good players. But in four Tests, I think we’ll end up using 30-odd players anyway.
“It’s a hell of a series, isn’t it? Playing the world champions in South Africa over four Tests, massive interest all over the world, a huge amount of Kiwis coming over here to travel and embrace it. We’re really excited and we’ll definitely be ready.”
