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The most anticipated Test of the year sees the Springboks play host to the All Blacks at a sold-out Ellis Park. Join us for live scores from 1.00am AEST.
It’s the issue that has polarised Rugby Championship fans for the last three weeks.
Bismarck Du Plessis’ pair of yellow cards – the first from a questionable ‘no-arms’ call from his crunching tackle on Dan Carter, the second for an elbow of Liam Messam – undoubtedly changed the context of the first meeting the two sides, when the All Blacks won 29-15 at Eden Park.
Whether or not Du Plessis’ tackle was legal is a discussion that can now be confined to the past – the next chapter of the Springbok/All Black rivalry is written this morning.
Thanks to their gritty 33-15 win at Rosario last Sunday morning, the All Blacks currently occupy top spot in The Rugby Championship and are widely expected to claim back-to-back tournament wins here.
South Africa will need to not only win, but win with a bonus point and defeat New Zealand by a margin greater than seven points.
Yet for most, winning The Rugby Championship is only the secondary priority here.
The Springboks headed to Auckland early in September confident of turning over the world’s number one side in their fortress and for periods in the first half they did that.
But, rightly or wrongly, their chances of an upset were taken away when they were permanently reduced to 14 men two minutes into the second half.
This morning in front of over 60,000 Springboks fans they get the opportunity to correct that.
Du Plessis returns to start in the front row after being benched by Heyneke Meyer in the 20-point win over the Wallabies last weekend.
An injury to Flip van der Merwe means Juandre Kruger at lock, and a quad injury has clouded JJ Engelbrecht’s preparation this week but he is expected to start.
For the All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw comes back in thought Steve Hansen has been forced to insert Charlie Faumuina after Owen Franks was unable to recover from a groin injury.
Both sides couldn’t come into this stronger, and we’re set for what should be a compelling 80 minutes as the All Blacks look to prove why they are one of rugby’s greatest ever sides.
We’ll have live scores from 1.00am AEST.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.