South Africa v New Zealand: Everything you need to know
New Zealand are on course to complete another Rugby Championship clean sweep when they visit South Africa in the final round of fixtures on Saturday.
While 2016’s perfect tally of 30 points is beyond their reach, victory in Cape Town would represent a sixth win in as many matches for the All Blacks, who wrapped up a fifth championship in six years last weekend.
Discounting the shortened format of World Cup years, New Zealand have not failed to win this competition since the Springboks won the 2009 Tri Nations.
And the outlook appears bleak for this weekend’s hosts, with the All Blacks having racked up their highest ever points total against South Africa (57) in each of the last two meetings.
This year’s clash in Albany was particularly humiliating for the Springboks as they failed to score a single point in response.
For New Zealand, this is about adding gloss to their customary dominance of the championship. For South Africa, the restoration of some pride against their world-beating opponents will be a priority.
HEAD TO HEAD
South Africa: 35
New Zealand: 56
Draw: 3
KEY PLAYERS
Elton Jantjies (South Africa): The Springboks are the only team this tournament to have used just one goal kicker, with Jantjies booting 23 of his 28 attempts. With his side bidding to avoid drawing another blank, his kicking could be key to keeping South Africa in touch.
Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): The All Blacks’ fly-half, meanwhile, has been central to the side’s attacking play, and no player in the championship has made more carries. Full-back Damian McKenzie is level with Barrett on 57.
THE LINE-UPS
South Africa: Andries Coetzee, Dillyn Leyds, Jesse Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Ross Cronje; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Ruan Dreyer, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Francois Louw.
New Zealand: Damian McKenzie, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Kane Hames, Dane Coles, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Liam Squire, Sam Cane, Kieran Read.
?? Steve Hansen discusses the selections for the #AllBlacks 23 to take on South Africa in Cape Town.
TEAM: https://t.co/HR2Rf0ezlb pic.twitter.com/ZKOIqGY16Z
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 5, 2017
PRE-MATCH TALK
Springboks coach Allister Coetzee on the absence of 95-cap Tendai Mtawarira due to family reasons: “Losing your most experienced player is not ideal, but family comes first in our caring environment.”
All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams: “From an individual point of view we want to play really well but collectively we always try to come together put that aside and work for the betterment of the team.”
OPTA STATS
– New Zealand have scored 114 points in their last two games against South Africa (exactly 57 on each occasion), and are coming off the back of the biggest win in the history of this fixture (57-0).
– The All Blacks have now won five games on the bounce against South Africa, the last time they won more in succession was an eight-game streak from 2001 to 2004.
– This will be the 10th meeting between these sides at Newlands Stadium; in none of the previous nine meetings at the venue did either side score 30+ points; in fact only twice has a side reached 20 points.
– New Zealand are the only side yet to lose a scrum on their own feed in this tournament, winning 39 from 39.
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
225 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
225 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to comments