South Africa vs New Zealand: Can All Blacks weather Springboks backlash to cement progress in Cape Town

28.08.2026, 14:39 skysports.com

The second instalment of 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry' sees South Africa host New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with Springbok hopes already at the make-or-break stage and the All Blacks presented with a historic opportunity...

The All Blacks had better brace themselves. South Africa do not take too kindly to losing at home, let alone in the manner in which their challenge unravelled in last week's 33-16 loss at Ellis Park.

The Springboks will undoubtedly come back harder in Cape Town, with a response essential if they are to keep their hopes of winning this four-Test series alive. A draw can still be salvaged if they lose again, but for an all-conquering South Africa side with a taste for success, nothing but victory will surely do.

The reigning back-to-back world champions and Rugby Championship holders have lost just one home Test series in the last 30 years. With another defeat moving them a step closer to an unwanted piece of history, a swift response is required.

A phenomenon seen across sport is the paradigm of the chaser versus the chased. For seven years, South Africa have been the dominant force in world rugby, as their successive World Cup titles attest. They have been the benchmark, the standard that other nations have sought to emulate.

That daunting task is perhaps only dwarfed by the one South Africa have successfully wrestled with: staying ahead of the curve and constantly evolving while remaining one step ahead of their rivals.

It is a challenge New Zealand now face as Dave Rennie is tasked with cementing the All Blacks' position as the world's No 1-ranked side.

All Blacks stun Springboks at Ellis Park

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With the pressure on South Africa to respond, New Zealand can play with a freedom not afforded to the Springboks. But being the hunter is one thing. Remaining the hunted is another.

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Standalone victories against South Africa in South Africa may not have been as rare as, say, victories over New Zealand at Eden Park, but successive Test victories over the Springboks certainly are.

They have been non-existent in the Rassie Erasmus era. In fact, you have to go back to the 2015 Rugby Championship, when South Africa lost to New Zealand and Argentina, for the last time the Springboks suffered successive home Test defeats.

The All Blacks have not won a Test series in South Africa since 1996 but stand one victory away from ensuring a drawn series at the very least.

New Zealand absorbed immense pressure, scrum dominance and territorial control from the Springboks at Ellis Park before ruthlessly punishing South African errors.

If there was a surprise element to the tactics New Zealand deployed in Johannesburg, make no mistake those will be addressed by the Springboks this week.

With the All Blacks set to face a very different, wounded animal this time around, the question is whether their game has enough facets to withstand the inevitable backlash and prove their rise is about more than one impressive performance in Johannesburg.

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Should it happen, a first series defeat to the All Blacks on home soil since 1996 would be a tough pill to swallow for the reigning back-to-back world champions, but history suggests it may ultimately prove a blessing in disguise.

Under Erasmus' stewardship, South Africa's dominance has been built on learning from defeat and implementing change.

Pool-stage losses to New Zealand and Ireland at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups served as fuel to propel the Boks to back-to-back titles.

With little more than a year to go until they defend their crown in Australia, should this thorough New Zealand examination continue, further lessons may emerge that can be channelled into the pursuit of yet more silverware.

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South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de ⁠Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach; 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du ​Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.

New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, ⁠10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard; 1 George Bower, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Fabian Holland, 5 Tupou Vaa'i, 6 Simon Parker, 7 Luke Jacobsen, 8 Ardie Savea (captain).

Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton ‌Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby.

All games live on Sky Sports; kick-off times UK and Ireland

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