52 - 10

36 - 13

34 - 23

18 - 0

73 - 7

18 - 3

42 - 31

33 - 21

31 - 21

U20

21 - 31

U20

33 - 40

23 - 26

32 - 42

34 - 22

21 - 42

15 - 12

23 - 26

20 - 18

32 - 17

U20

24 - 50

33 - 8

40 - 24

International

'We should never forget': Former Bok great's warning on looming All Blacks series

By Ben Smith

46 days ago

RG Snyman of South Africa celebrates after scoring a try during The Rugby Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa Springboks at Sky Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Former Springboks fullback Percy Montgomery has warned South Africa about getting too complacent ahead of the historic Greatest Rivalry tour in 2026.

The All Blacks head to South Africa for a return to old school style tours, with warm-up games against South Africa’s URC franchises before three Tests against the Springboks. A fourth Test in a neutral location will follow the tour.

Montgomery said the All Blacks still have an ‘aura’ about them that the Boks should ‘never forget’. Montgomery said the world’s number two side, who split the two-game series 1-1 this year with the Boks, was ‘struggling a bit’ now. He pointed to the Springboks before the 2019 Rugby World Cup as a reason to not count them out.

Ruan Nortje ‘We always back players’ decisions’

“I’m getting goosebumps when you say that rivalry,” Montgomery told Behind the Ruck podcast.

“There’s an aura about the All Blacks, and it’s something we should never forget. I know they’re struggling a bit now, but so did the Springboks before they won the World Cup with Rassie.

“We got klapped in New Zealand, and we turned it around in a matter of months to go on to win a World Cup. So, anything can happen in rugby, and we all know, we’ve all been there. Complacency is a dangerous word.”

Montgomery said that South Africa had ‘overtaken’ New Zealand now with Rassie’s genius after such a golden period for the All Blacks through the 2000s and 2010s.

“It’s going to be tough and a great series to watch. This is why we play the game: you want to become a Springbok, and you want to play against the All Blacks, number one and number two (in the world),” he said.

“I was fortunate enough to play in those against Jeff Wilson, Josh Kronfeld, Jonah Lomu, and Jerry Collins. I was very fortunate enough to be involved, but the All Blacks were very strong in those days when Sean Fitzpatrick retired, and then Richie McCaw and Dan Carter came in.

“They had a good team, we klapped (slapped) them a few times, but they had a good era, and that’s where I think we’ve now overtaken them with Rassie’s genius and his coaching staff, but it’s going to be an incredible series

Comments

98 Comments

JW 37 days ago

Yeah if you can let me know if you find the Uruguay game.

cw 37 days ago

Still coming to grips with the change! To be honest have not yet had a close look at what Joseph might bring - going to try and find the AB XVs games and have a look.

JW 37 days ago

Any predictions to what JJ is going to look to? Going to be very intersting as I have to see him having a large hand in the Landers season still!

More xfactor like Casey selections incoming?

TokoRFC 39 days ago

I’m enjoying this discussing by the way it’s interesting hearing your perspective, ultimately we won’t know where the respective teams are at until they play. Which makes the tour so interesting and seems to be a stroke of genius by NZR and the SARU.

But in the meantime it’s fun to speculate so I’m just trying to get a handle your reasoning here.

I should also caution that SR is not the competition it once was..

True.

Although I reckon it peaked somewhere between 2005-2015 and was a very diluted product by 2020 when SA left.

Yet you say the SA teams struggled in the URC when they first came in, from the results it looks like they did pretty well in the first two years?

the regress in standard (of super rugby) that has followed through to the AB's has become very evident recently.

This is also true.

Although it’s hard to tell how much of our woes are to do with the ABs being coached badly. Foster has done nothing pre or post the All Blacks to convince, and anyone watching the Sharks can agree Plumtree is a “kak coach”. I don’t think the current assistants are much better, also see Leon MacDonalds Japanese team. But of course if the All Blacks don’t turn a corner soon they could well struggle on the tour, here we agree.

IMO, the rugby in SR is about on par with the French Pro D2 where it is more free flowing and not too much emphasis is put on defense or tactical astuteness. The free flowing, ruck and run stuff people rave about SR simply does not cut the mustard in NH rugby.

Not sure about this.

If you look at the teams that have done well in SR recently they usually have surprisingly solid packs. I Also think you undervalue the benefit of being able to play running rugby, the English prem sides are doing well in Europe and the French teams sure know how to run. For the SA sides to have done poorly in SR ca, 2020 ro then initially do well in the URC, Super rugby will have hade to have fallen to bits since then, it’s worse but not by that much.

If I had to put in my own 2 cents in, I would say the top 23 for the Saders and Chiefs sit somewhere under the best 5-6 European teams maybe even a few spots lower, so maybe 3rd or 4th in the URC, but somewhere there. Then our other 3 teams would be mid tabling in the URC, Highlanders could struggle but are still a decent side. That’s just my opinion though and I agree with you the competitions have very different squad depth requirements so hard to compare.

When you have a closer look at the 4 SA franchises their squads of players are double the size they were in SR days

Though I don’t think overall squad depths are the best indicator of the 23 players that will run out. On the one hand you say that each team operates 2 Super rugby levels squads so regardless of who runs our they will be great, yet on the other hand you say the Bulls and Sharks are struggling in the URC because they’ve been without their Boks (like they will be on this tour).

When the second string SA sides also looked very poor on the weekend, I’m struggling to see how the Bokkless 23s that will be put out will be “test match” quality?

Make no mistake, the All Blacks are coming to South Africa and will play 8 test matches.

I don’t think there is evidence this is the case, but accept I may be proven wrong come August.

cw 42 days ago

A regrettably accurate prediction.

SC 44 days ago

The 2nd pack is strong enough to comfortably beat any URC team. It will not beat the Springboks but they will not play the Springboks more than once if at all.

Red and White Dynamight 44 days ago

Bok coach, players, administrators and, of course, fans have slipped so far up their own ass that the shock waves that come with a loss will be be incalculable. And we’re here for it.

JW 43 days ago

I know right. Does he not realize his team should have lost the last WC to the All Blacks and only leveled the last series with them, and where behind at halftime and somewhat fortunate their fightback got them victories at home against them?

KB 45 days ago

Boy, this series against the Boks is a lifesaver for the AB’s. Imagine having all those games against the local teams to sort out a lot of the AB’s issues and the tests to top it off.

KZ7 45 days ago

I’ll definitely be watching this from behind the sofa-can’t see us getting anywhere near the Springboks right now

Hammer Head 46 days ago

Couldn’t Ben just give us a link to the podcast and save writing 100 words introducing 200 words of direct quotations.

Who’s running this jol?

CG 46 days ago

This will be a horrible tour with legions of injuries and a thrashing for the abs

Only watch if you are a saffer

Do a Frenchy and send in the c team

JW 43 days ago

Think the whole world would want to be tuning in for that CG, perhaps even more than if it was South Africa.

cw 44 days ago

Nah - touring the SA will be epic. I was in England for the last one and the pubs there were packed with Boks and Kiwis - unforgettable and as big if not bigger than WC finals. And there has never been an expectation of beating the Boks at home so yeah may be three zip but I can see the ABs taking one in SA and in a neutral venue.

GrahamVF 46 days ago

What I like about it is that it is going to give the South African youngsters a chance to “get to know” the AB stars. I had a picture of Chris Laidlaw on my wall as a youngster and many young South Africans had All Black heroes and I remember the poignant singing of Now is the Hour by hundreds of South Africans when the team boarded the ship to sail back to New Zealand. That was where the true rivalry and friendships were formed. The only four test tours to SA were NZ and the British and Irish Lions (Australia usually played three tests all the other countries mostly only two.

TokoRFC 45 days ago

Cheers fro the perspective Graham, an admirable man to have on your wall! In any case an All Blacks tour must have been the talk of the town before mass entertainment.

I’m too young to remember the last tour in 1996, there’s a lot of chat below about how Razor will approach the long schedule and the midweek games to avoid fatigue while not rotating too much to maintain some continuity.

Do you have any thoughts on how it was done back in the day and how you would go about it now?

Wayneo 46 days ago

We will have to wait and see what tactical changes the kiwis make in SR this season. I doubt there will be many and they will probably stick to the high tempo ruck & run stuff and avoid kicking & set pieces at all costs.

I think a lot of kiwis expect the tests to be intense but majority are unaware or don’t know what to expect from the midweek games or how hot its going to be for the cat on the hot tin roof come August.

2026 Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour schedule-

Friday, August 7 Stormers v New Zealand, Cape Town

Tuesday, August 11 Sharks v New Zealand, Durban

Saturday, August 15 Bulls v New Zealand, Pretoria

Saturday, August 22 South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg - First Test

Tuesday, August 25 Lions v New Zealand, Johannesburg

Saturday, August 29 South Africa v New Zealand, Cape Town - Second Test

Saturday, September 5 South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg - Third Test

Saturday, September 12 South Africa v New Zealand - Fourth Test

I’m expecting the All Blacks to pitch up with 50 players to account for 8 games to be played at test match level, but I won’t be surprised if they bring less than 40 to try and build a close unit and then call players in as injury cover as and when needed.

I just hope Ben makes the trip out to SA so that the guys can teach him how to eat a boerewors roll and make a brandy and cola the right way (warning Ben, they are going to make you chug that stuff by the bucket just like a Blue Bulls supporter).

JW 43 days ago

Isn’t it going to be winter, and those teams off seasons? I thought they would mostly be second stringers, Currie Cup guys.

SC 46 days ago

2nd Team ABs (23) Friday, August 7 Stormers v New Zealand, Cape Town

1st Team ABs (23) Tuesday, August 11 Sharks v New Zealand, Durban

2nd Team ABs (23) Saturday, August 15 Bulls v New Zealand, Pretoria

1st Team ABs (23) Saturday, August 22 South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg - First Test

2nd Team ABs (23) Tuesday, August 25 Lions v New Zealand, Johannesburg

1st Team ABs (23) Saturday, August 29 South Africa v New Zealand, Cape Town - Second Test

2nd Team ABs (23) Saturday, September 5 South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg - Third Test

1st Team ABs (23) Saturday, September 12 South Africa v New Zealand - Fourth Test

Target the first 2 tests and the neutral site test as most winnable.

Hammer Head 46 days ago

I think you’re being optimistic about what SA fans would do with Ben if he paid us a visit.

Eric Elwood 46 days ago

I think first team verus Stormers then a sprinkling against Sharks and maybe a strong team play a half against Bulls (second half perhaps).

Lions will be the B team as they are not as powerful etc.

It must be remembered that the only game between them that wasn’t tight was the Wellington match. I expect the same here with all matches tight.

TokoRFC 46 days ago

It’s going to be epic Wayneo, can’t wait either, this tour is really going to test the depth of NZ rugby!

But at the same time exposure to South African physicality and set piece prowess is just what a large group of our players need to bridge the current gap between Super and International rugby.

The issue for Razor is the flak they’ll get if they loose to a club side as well as the inevitable attrition towards the end of the tour.

They can’t risk a loss early, neither can they play the top players midweek, so they will need a relatively big squad. The issue is we haven’t managed to rotate and keep momentum like Rassie does. I feel Razor hasn’t created enough continuity in the backline but at the same time there hasn’t been enough rotation in the forwards on tours, leading to fatigue, they need to get that balance right.

The July tests should have the core side relatively well prepared. I expect Razor will still need to play his top side on the first two weekends though, the Stormers are looking good and could be the banana peel match. Then if I remember anything about the Bulls pack they will leave our top forwards battered and Blou (pun intended).

Then a very rotated 23 will have to play midweek against the Sharks and Lions, if this side don’t play coherently they could loose momentum before the tests even get going. A few key injuries at the start of the tour could leave the top side looking rough around the edges and the wheels could fall off, see the England test…

Ideally for NZ we’ll see more gameplan coherency, young players emerge to stake their claim during the midweeks and possibly take the reins if form or injuries demand changes.

However it goes, you have to feel this tour will define the All Blacks world cup cycle…

We’ll just have to see!

GM 46 days ago

I’d like to think it’ll be a highly competeitive series, but unless this NZR review gasps the coaching nettle, the series against the Boks will be a disaster. I’d like to see Razor hold on, but only if he accepts that Hansen and Ellison have to go. Essential for Razor to accept a new team , maybe a Ronan O’G on defence and, say, Nick Evans on attack.

JW 43 days ago

Thought Evans (when he commentated that ABXV game had some very naïve northerns views on rugby that I don’t think are going to cut in the cauldron the All Blacks operate.

Would like to see him maybe go to a team like Hurricanes or Highlanders were theres plenty of talent and prove himself first.

All Blacks don’t need to sack anyone (really), they just need to replace the two coaches that have left (yes that means Ellison required to fill a lot of gaps left from Leons departure.

TokoRFC 46 days ago

Nick Evans would be a boon wouldn’t he. Interesting to see what they do

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