Boks’ fresh spin
Some reports suggesting the world champion Springboks could play the All Blacks at Mbombela Stadium in the city formerly known as Nelspruit as part of the Rugby Championship in September have called it an “odd” choice of venue.
The stadium in Mbombela is not an obvious pick. It was built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup — it’s where the All Whites famously drew 1-1 with Italy — and it holds only 41,000 people. It’s not what South Africans would describe as a rugby fortress such as Johannesburg’s Ellis Park or Durban’s Kings Park.
But neither of those two venues hold much fear for the All Blacks, who have lost only one of their last five tests at Ellis Park (a 27-25 defeat in 2014). The All Blacks’ last played in Durban in 2016 and humbled the Boks 57-15.
The All Blacks’ impressive record in the republic was one of the reasons former coach Steve Hansen was keen to keep the South Africans involved in Super Rugby. In the All Blacks’ case, familiarity doesn’t breed contempt as much as a healthy self confidence. The more you visit a place, the fewer mysteries it holds.
Interestingly, the Boks’ most successful venue for All Blacks tests in recent times is the one now called Sky Sport Stadium in Wellington. They drew 16-16 in last year’s Rugby Championship and a year before beat Hansen’s men 36-34 in another cliffhanger. This year they will play their New Zealand test at Eden Park, where they haven’t won since 1937.
Should South African Rugby decide to play in Mbombela, a city close to the Mozambique border where they have played only three times before (although none in a test of this significance), it would fit neatly into this modern team’s ethos of inclusivity and breaking new ground.
Thousands of fans from all backgrounds welcomed the world champions home from Japan after beating England 32-12 in Yokohama in October (after they lost to the All Blacks in their first pool game). Led superbly by captain Siya Kolisi, the nation’s first black rugby skipper, it is a team for all — and for all corners of the country.