Match Details: All Blacks v South Africa, Sunday 1 September, 3.00am NZT, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Played: 106
Won: All Blacks 62, South Africa 40, Drawn 4
Last Time: All Blacks 11, South Africa 12, Stade de France (World Cup final), 28 October 2023.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Achilles heel?
Goal-kicking, especially in South Africa, has long been an advantage for the home side, but in performances in the first two Rugby Championship games, it has not been a Springbok strong point. Instead, New Zealand's Damian McKenzie leads the way with a 92.3 per cent kicking average for 27 points, while South Africa's two kickers, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, has landed 16 points at 70 per cent, and Handre Pollard has a 50 per cent record, albeit from two conversion attempts. The two South Africans are the least successful across all four sides in the competition.
Lessons learned
Halfback Cobus Reinach has been around long enough to know what it takes to beat the All Blacks. "It's going to take a big team effort. We need to go out there, do our best, and make sure we don't have any soft moments. We must be switched on all the time and be ready for whatever they throw at us. Most of the players have a unique skill of sorts, so we will have to be focused from the kick-off until the final hooter sounds. There have been times in the past when they've pulled a win out of the bag in the last 20 minutes, so it will take a full 80-minute effort."
The Stats
New Zealand has won five of its last six Test matches in South Africa, including their last, a 35-23 win at Ellis Park. South Africa has won nine of its last 10 Tests, their last three by 30 or more points. South Africa's backs Cheslin Kolbe (110) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (107) are second and third in the Championship for metres gained, while lock/flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit is fourth with 98m. But New Zealand's Mark Tele'a (11), Ardie Savea (9) and Anton Lienert-Brown (6) have the most tackle breaks among all sides. New Zealand's goal-kicking average in the Championship this year is 92.3 per cent, while South Africa's is 66.7. New Zealand leads the lineout success 90.0 per cent to 83.3, the scrum success 100 per cent to 81.8, and has beaten 26 defenders to 20.5 by South Africa.
Teams
New Zealand: 1.Tamaiti Williams (9), 2.Codie Taylor (89), 3.Tyrel Lomax (36), 4.Scott Barrett (72-captain), 5.Tupou Vaa'i (30), 6.Ethan Blackadder (13), 7.Sam Cane (96), 8.Ardie Savea (86), 9.TJ Perenara (84), 10.Damian McKenzie (52), 11.Caleb Clarke (22), 12.Jordie Barrett (62), 13.Rieko Ioane (73), 14.Will Jordan (33), 15.Beauden Barrett (128).
Substitutes: 16.Asafo Aumua (11), 17.Ofa Tu'ungafasi (61), 18.Fletcher Newell (18), 19.Sam Darry (3), 20.Samipeni Finau (3), 21.Cortez Ratima (4), 22.Anton Lienert-Brown (75), 23.Mark Tele'a (13).
South Africa: 1.Ox Nche (33), 2.Bongi Mbonambi (72), 3.Frans Malherbe (73), 4.Pieter-Steph du Toit (81), 5.Ruan Nortje (2), 6.Siya Kolisi (86), 7.Ben-Jason Dixon (3), 8.Jasper Wiese (27), 9.Cobus Reinach (34), 10.Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (6), 11.Kurt-Lee Arendse (19), 12.Damian de Allenda (82), 13.Jesse Kriel (73), 14.Cheslin Kolbe (35), 15.Aphelele Fassi (6).
Substitutes: 16.Malcolm Marx (69), 17.Gerhard Steenekamp (4), 18.Vincent Koch (54), 19.Marco van Staden (22), 20.Elrigh Louw (6), 21.Kwagga Smith (45), 22.Grant Williams (13), 23.Handre Pollard (73).