Springboks v All Blacks – Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry State of Play

Springboks v All Blacks is the biggest series of the rugby year and of the decade. What is the state of play two months out from New Zealand’s arrival in South Africa for the first tour in 30 years?

The Stormers and Bulls are in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals and the majority of South Africa’s foreign-based Springboks have been in great form.

Super Rugby Pacific’s final league standings have the familiar all-New Zealand one to four seedings heading into this weekend’s first round of play-offs.

Super Rugby, for 25 years, was the ‘go to’ for South African supporters. It was always the precursor to the big Test showdowns between the sport’s greatest rivals, the Springboks and All Blacks.

Springboks v All Blacks

There is no rivalry that matches this occasion for intensity or for intrigue. They have consistently been the best two teams in the world and they share seven of the 10 World Cup titles.

The Springboks have won four and the All Blacks have won three.

The Springboks have only ever won one series in New Zealand, in 1937. The All Blacks won their first – and only – in 1996.

New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie completes his tenure with Japanese club Kobe Steelers in the final against Frans Ludeke’s Spears.

Rennie has achieved a lot of success against South African teams as coach of the Chiefs and the Wallabies.

He is expected to name Ardi Savea as his captain, given that Savea is currently playing for his club team in Japan.

Savea returns home for Test rugby and is available for the All Blacks.

Individually, here’s a snapshot of the Kiwis making the loudest on-field noise through performances in the build-up to the four Tests against the Springboks in August and September.

For all the noise around the world champion and No 1 ranked Springboks, South Africans would be foolish to ignore what is happening across the Tasman.

Super Rugby Pacific may have its critics as a competition but there are some explosive and wonderful players from New Zealand.

The biggest on-field statement has come from the Hurricanes. Individually it has come from Cam Roigard.

Cam Roigard is coming

The most complete New Zealand player in Super Rugby this season has been Hurricanes scrumhalf Roigard.

His return has transformed the Wellington franchise. He brings tempo, physicality, defensive aggression and an instinctive understanding of when to accelerate a match.

South Africans appreciate tough rugby players. Roigard is one of them. He is so similar to the late and great Springboks No 9 World Cup winner Joost van der Westhuizen.

When the Springboks start analysing All Blacks threats ahead of the Tests, Roigard’s name will be among the first discussed.

Damian McKenzie is New Zealand’s great attacking weapon

Every season people ask the same question. Can Damian McKenzie dominate Test rugby the way he dominates Super Rugby?

Yet every season he remains one of the most dangerous players in the competition.

The Chiefs play through him. Defences still struggle to contain him.

He attacks broken fields better than any player in New Zealand rugby and remains capable of turning a match in a single passage of play.

The Springboks know exactly how dangerous he can be if given space.

Wallace Sititi has become essential

The Chiefs loose forward has added a level of athleticism and physical presence that makes him particularly relevant against South Africa.

The Springboks traditionally test New Zealand through collisions, lineouts and physical confrontations.

Sititi is built to embrace that challenge. He is an exceptional player.

Tupou Vaa’i’s moment has arrived

The injury to All Blacks captain Scott Barrett changes everything.

Barrett will miss the South African tour following back surgery, leaving a massive leadership and playing vacuum.

That places even greater importance on Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa’i.

He has developed into one of New Zealand’s premier tight forwards and now carries the responsibility of becoming the cornerstone of the All Blacks engine room.

Against South Africa, there is nowhere to hide for a lock.

Vaa’i’s performances over the next month may ultimately determine how competitive New Zealand are physically against the Springboks.

Ruben Love is the breakout star

Every season produces one player whose reputation changes completely.

This season it is Hurricanes playmaker Ruben Love.

He has become one of the competition’s most exciting attacking weapons through his ability to play multiple positions, inject pace into attack and challenge defenders one-on-one.

The Crusaders are producing another generation

The Crusaders’ late-season surge has been built around familiar qualities: accuracy, patience and ruthless efficiency.

While fullback/winger Will Jordan’s injury concerns remain a talking point, the emergence of players like scrumhalf Noah Hotham a new generation of Crusaders talent has again strengthened the All Blacks pipeline, while a veteran like winger Sevu Reece has been particularly good.

The Crusaders remain the franchise most likely to produce hardened Test players because they consistently expose young talent to playoff rugby.

The threat: Jordie Barrett

South Africans focus heavily on Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan.

But Jordie Barrett remains the All Black most naturally suited to confronting the Springboks.

His kicking game, physicality, aerial presence and versatility make him uniquely valuable in Test rugby.

The question is where best to use Barrett, at No 12 or No 15?

What the Springboks should notice

The biggest difference between New Zealand rugby now and two years ago is that genuine depth is reappearing.

The Springboks remain the benchmark side in world rugby and their depth in the tight five remains superior to New Zealand’s.

But the All Blacks are again producing footballers capable of changing games.

They have a new coach, who has spent nine years away from New Zealand. Rennie arrives with ambition and no bias towards a franchise. There are so many unknowns with Rennie and his All Blacks, which makes for a fascinating build-up to the tour of South Africa.

All Blacks in South Africa