After this year’s biggest upset to date, the Springboks will look to go two-from-two against the All Blacks in the final round of the Rugby Championship. Join The Roar for live scores and blog, from 1:05am AEST.
Last weekend saw a scrappy win to South Africa over Australia – not unlike New Zealand’s win over Argentina – with 23-12 and 35-17 scorelines in those games respectively.
The Springboks didn’t hugely impress last weekend against Australia, but at least turned up after halftime, which was enough to win the game by a reasonable margin.
New Zealand didn’t have everything going their way against Los Pumas either, but withstood what the Argies threw at them for a scrappy victory, which also won them the Championship, for the third straight year.
The Boks are currently undefeated at home this RC, and could well maintain that record, but despite their stunning triumph at Wellington, will head into this match as heavy outsiders.
When the Springboks last played the All Blacks at home, it was coming off a 57-0 thrashing in New Zealand, however this time they come into it with some form against the ABs.
No-one tipped the Africans to get the goods in the land of the long white cloud, with myself and other punters tipping a home team victory by 20 or more, however things are slightly different over in SA.
The history is marginally in the New Zealanders’ favour, and while 2016 saw a blowout score, in 2015 and 2017 the hometown heroes survived for bonus point losses, not to mention a shock narrow victory in 2014.
This will be about the 10s, there’s no doubt about that. The home team have named Handre Pollard to start at flyhalf, with Elton Jantjies coming off the bench, as Beauden Barrett starts in the playmaker role ahead of Mo’unga, in an expected decision for NZ.
No doubt there will be pressure on Barrett to up his game, goalkicking-wise, after a dismal two-from-six in Wellington, and hypotheticals will be tossed around about whether, should the All Blacks be trailing by a small margin towards the game’s end, he would try a drop goal.
Prediction
It’s rare that the All Blacks lose once, let alone twice in a row to any one opposition, so for the Boks to win would take another miracle.
That being said, it’s by no means impossible, particularly after Wellington, but for them to get over the line again, would mean a lot of key All Blacks would have to play deeply sub-standard.
The great thing that the Wellington upset did, was add a level of unpredictability to Rugby Championship games such as this one, something we haven’t seen before, or at least not in recent time.
All Blacks by 4.
Join The Roar for live scores and the blog from 1:05am AEST on Sunday morning.
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Time: 1:05am AEST
TV: LIVE on Fox Sports
Referee: Angus Gardner
Odds: SA $4.50, NZ $1.21
South Africa
Willie le Roux
Cheslin Kolbe
Jesse Kriel
Damian de Allende
Aphiwe Dyantyi
Handre Pollard
Faf de Klerk
Francois Louw
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Siya Kolisi (c)
Franco Mostert
Eben Etzebeth
Frans Malherbe
Malcolm Marx
Steven Kitshoff
Reserves:
Bongi Mbonambi
Tendai Mtawarira
Vincent Koch
RG Snyman
Sikhumbuzo Notshe
Embrose Papier
Elton Jantjies
Damian Willemse
New Zealand
Ben Smith
Waisake Naholo
Jack Goodhue
Sonny Bill Williams
Rieko Ioane
Beauden Barrett
Aaron Smith
Kieran Read (c)
Sam Cane
Shannon Frizell
Scott Barrett
Sam Whitelock
Owen Franks
Codie Taylor
Karl Tu’inukuafe
Reserves:
Nathan Harris
Tim Perry
Ofa Tuungafasi
Patrick Tuipulotu
Ardie Savea
TJ Perenara
Richie Mo’unga
Ryan Crotty
Harry Jones
Expert
Drop goals can solve so many problems
Julz
Guest
Gotta kick myself for missing this match. Was looking forward to it, but ending up getting drunk..lol. would've been great to watch it live. But congrats on the win.
Pete Dossinger
Guest
Corne, try be a Wallaby supporter at the moment, today’s comeback from the death notwithstanding, I thought this was the strongest Bok side for a number of years and they just need to develop that winning culture that’s needed to beat ABs in games like this one. Vasbyt Corne.
Pieter the Great
Roar Rookie
And Marx?
That's a bold statement SP, care to back that up? I cannot recall any South Africans on this forum questioning his selection as captain.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Well done All Blacks fans to win the game at the death. I am disappointed just like you must have felt in Wellington. But yeah, the great Bok - All Black rivalry is back. Long may that continue.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Getting a bit tired of the blame the black guy comments. Or blame quotas or whatever. Rassie has forged a united team than ran the AB's very very close. Hard to beat AB's two games in row. Last team that did that was the Bok team of 2009. The bench guys just need more experience. You know, quite a few Saffa's on this forum questioned the appointment of Siya Kolisi as captain and said it was a political appointment. Eating humble pie, those guys. Go look at the stats. Siya was the best loose forward in the championships.
Bluesfan
You are kidding - Moody start with big Karl of the bench - that is a one/two punch. How people quickly forget how good Coles was - it's sorta out of sight/mind. Here is a question - how would you like Coles of the bench vs Harris? Former best hooker in the world maybe? Frizzell very good on defence - but saw zero offensive runs. Squire still very much ahead. Retaillick - it's not only him, it's that you can then bring on Barrett in 2nd half - Bench just gets stronger. When those players are back - AB's will have the No.1 pack in the world, not only because of the run on players - but because the bench just gets strengthened so much more.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
The boks just ran out of puff. That and the subs aren’t up to this level.
taylorman
Roar Guru
And you think they would have significantly altered that match. Dont see it myself. Taylor is proving a very able hooker and could retain that from a very long ansent and now ageing Coles. Retallick yes and the props possibly though we got parity on the scrums at least. Squire? Not a clear improvement on Frizzell in my books. Perhaps we miss a bit more mobility in the tight five but boks look to be pointing higher given a few weeks ago.
taylorman
Roar Guru
I didnt start believing till the 70th minute where at that point I was actually quite confident.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes i do think though that Faf had every right to expect a bok to be on the extreme right wing in that scenario, so the question is why wasnt there one.
Harry Jones
Expert
Willie concussed; Faf cramping.
Brizvegas
Guest
Well done both teams. For a while I thought that after 60 mins and the Boks playing well that the ABs were done and dusted. Boks at home and were controlling the game for majority of game but not quite the belief to shut it out. Amazing how the bench worked well for the ABs and not so good for the Boks. Pretty sure you call that Depth. The difference between being #1 and the rest is belief which seems simple. Anyhow another great heart stopper
System of a Downey Jr
Roar Rookie
Some worrying signs for the ABs. That first sixty minutes they were outplayed. Their goal line defence saved them but the Boks tore them up for 20 minutes at the start of the second half. Basically the Boks suffered similar game management issues as the ABs experienced in the last meeting in Wellington. The Boks will learn what is required to shut out a game (other than the raw defence they've relied on in their last two matches). Bizarrely the ABs experienced both poor and good leadership in the same game - poor for the majority of the match to be in a position of bleeding 30 points but good at forging a victory in the final 15 minutes when they had no right to be in the match. It probably speaks volumes about Read and B Barrett's qualities.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
It certainly lay licked up when RMand TJ came on, but to be fair, the SA bench came on too, so hard to compare to the starters. In saying that, I am a fan of both TJ and RM and would like to see them both be starters.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Is this really Springboks versus Argentina? Did anyone notice the title?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Springboks are not scared of the ABs, but they did get scared of losing in the end. Shut up shop too early and have the ABs a chance. They needed to keep going and score on more time, then the belief might have bled out of the ABs.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Yea, seemed intent on running clock down and eating time up instead of doing what had worked all game. So many teams do that, it’s frustrating to watch. From being hungry to win, they become scared to lose.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Put them selves in a position to win it, just could quite deliver. Tough to stomach, I know, but the upside is they are now world beaters with the real possibility of beating anyone. Wouldn’t have said that a few months back.