Farewell to Newlands?

The All Blacks’ 10th - and best - test at Newlands may be their last at the atmospheric Cape Town venue.

Speculation is mounting that that South African rugby authorities will move from the historic ground - which first hosted a Springboks-All Blacks test in 1928 - to the more modern Cape Town Stadium.

It’s unlikely world rugby’s two greatest foes will meet there again.

Africa’s Times Live news site said it was ‘‘a matter of time’’ before Western Province Rugby moves to Cape Town Stadium - the Green Point ground built for the Fifa football World Cup finals in 2010.

Times Live rugby correspondent Craig Ray wrote that though the shift might be ‘‘years off’’, it was unlikely Newlands would see the All Blacks again.

Ray said it was no secret SA Rugby prefers ‘‘world-class’’ Cape Town Stadium. Newlands does not feature in their Rugby World Cup

2023 bid book, he said.

A first-class rugby ground since

1890, Newlands is the oldest international rugby stadium in South Africa and the second oldest in the world behind Ireland’s Lansdowne Rd headquarters in Dublin.

Cape Town Stadium, with

55,000 seats is only slightly larger than Newlands (51,900), but has more modern facilities.

Newlands has been the All Blacks’ happiest hunting ground in South Africa with seven tests wins and three defeats.

But the All Blacks’ greatest victory at Newlands did not feature the Springboks. It was the

45-29 1995 World Cup quarterfinal romp over England - famous for four tries by the late Jonah Lomu.