The Rugby Championship returns after a week's break with a blockbuster match as South Africa prepare to host arch-rivals New Zealand at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday evening.
While there are many exciting match-ups in world rugby, few can ignite the passion quite like this clash between these two giants of the sport, who less than a year ago were separated by a single point in the World Cup final.
Match preview
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The rivalry between these two behemoths of the Southern Hemisphere dates back over 100 years, with New Zealand holding the advantage in the contest with 62 wins to the South Africans' 40, while seven of the 10 Rugby World Cup titles have been shared between them.
Indeed, it was the Green and Gold who emerged victorious that October night last year at Stade de France and the victory earned them a piece of history as they became the first nation to win the Webb Ellis Cup on four occasions.
Now, the Springboks are looking to follow up that incredible record by winning back the Southern Hemisphere's major trophy and currently lead the competition standings after making light work of a stuttering Australia in the first two rounds.
Rassie Erasmus even had the opportunity to integrate a few rising stars into the senior team against the Wallabies, and the future for South African rugby looks bright in the hands of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Aphelele Fassi, who shone for the Boks in Perth on August 17.
However, next up for the world champs are the All Blacks - a side that has dominated this competition in recent years and will be looking forward to the chance to exact revenge for that World Cup heartbreak last year.
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Ever since the competition evolved into its current format from the previously known Tri-Nations in 2012, New Zealand have won all but two Rugby Championship titles, including each of the last four.
Additionally, the Freedom Cup, which is contested between these two nations in this competition, has been retained by New Zealand for the last 13 years, barring 2020 when the Boks were not allowed to travel due to their government imposing travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, the All Blacks beat this opponent 35-20 in round two of the competition in Auckland and ended the competition with a spotless three-from-three record, though that will not be the case this time around after they suffered a shock 38-30 defeat to Argentina in their opening match.
That result marked the first defeat for new boss Scott Robertson, though his side bounced back in fine style a week later, dispatching Los Pumas 42-10 at the fortress that is Eden Park, where the All Blacks are now undefeated in an incredible 50 consecutive matches dating back to 1994.
However, whether they are able to topple the Boks in their own backyard is the question, especially given that the side are still trying to find top gear under Robertson, while South Africa, if anything, have developed even further since the last time these two crossed paths.
South Africa Rugby Championship form:
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South Africa form (all competitions):
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New Zealand Rugby Championship form:
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New Zealand form (all competitions):
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Team News
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South Africa received a massive injury boost this week with the formidable Eben Etzebeth cleared fit to feature this weekend, though Erasmus has opted to add him to the bench as part of the much-spoken about 'Bomb Squad.'
After impressing Down-Under, Feinberg-Mngomezulu retains the number 10 jersey ahead of Handre Pollard, while Cobus Reinach returns to scrum-half and Damian de Allende reclaims the midfield role alongside Jesse Kriel.
New Zealand have opted for a more experienced squad for this match, with Robertson bringing Scott Barrett and Sam Cane back into the starting 15. Cane will be playing his first match for the All Blacks since that World Cup defeat last year.
Tamaiti Williams will get his first taste of playing in South Africa and he will be joined by Tyrel Lomax and hooker Codie Taylor in the front row to face Ox Nche and Frans Malherbe at scrum-time.
South Africa starting lineup: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard
New Zealand starting lineup: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa'i, 4 Scott Barrett (c), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele'a
We say: South Africa 19-13 New Zealand
While you can never write off the All Blacks, South Africa look like a side at the top of their game at the moment, and we feel the hosts will be able to secure the points in this headline fixture.
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Devesh Jaganath
