All Blacks v Boks: By the numbers
The All Blacks haven’t lost in the republic in eight years, and on this trip they could lift their win rate against the Springboks to the highest it’s been since their first clash in 1921. Aaron Goile reports.
It’s the greatest rivalry in rugby history and the timing of this year’s matchup couldn’t make it any more intriguing. The All Blacks, in one of their worst slumps in history, off the back of that historic home series defeat to Ireland, are embarking on their traditionally toughest assignment – facing the Springboks in South Africa.
Here’s the key numbers ahead of the two tests over the next two weekends.
0 Tests the All Blacks have played in Mbombela (formerly known as Nelspruit).
Located around 330km east of Johannesburg, where the second test will be played next weekend, the city with a population of only around 110,000 will play host to Sunday’s (NZ time) Rugby Championship opener.
The Mbombela Stadium, which was one of five newly built arenas for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, has already been the scene of New Zealand sporting folklore, with the All Whites’ monumental 1-1 draw with Italy taking place there.
Seating around 41,000, the stadium is home to the 2022
Currie Cup champion Pumas, and in its connection with the nearby Kruger National Park, it features 18 roof supports that resemble giraffes, while the seats are patterned in zebra stripes.
2 The margin between the All Blacks and Springboks in each of their two clashes last year.
In fact, the two great rivals have been separated by more than the value of a conversion kick only once in their past seven meetings.
Last season, Quinn Tupaea’s late turnover and Jordie Barrett’s subsequent penalty sealed the men in black a 19-17 win in Townsville in the centenary test, before the Boks got revenge a week later in Robina when Elton Jantjies’ injury time penalty goal secured a 31-29 victory.
In 2019 the All Blacks won 23-13 in World Cup pool play and there was a 16-16 draw in Wellington a couple of months earlier, while the two games in 2018 were again split one apiece, by two points each time, as New Zealand prevailed 32-30 in Pretoria three weeks after being tipped up 36-34 in Wellington.
7 Where Dane Coles now sits on the oldest All Blacks chart.
After not featuring in the first two matches against Ireland, the 81-test hooker came on as a substitute in the third game in Wellington, and with it, jumped eight places from 15th on the list.
Taking the park at the age of 35 years, 218 days, Coles went past names such as Andy Haden, Sir Colin Meads and fellow hookers Tane Norton and Andrew Hore.
Should he play in South Africa, Coles will then go past Richard Loe into sixth.
8 The years since the Springboks have beaten the All Blacks in South Africa. Remarkable, right?
That last time was the 27-25 result in the 2014 clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg where Pat Lambie landed a 52-metre penalty with a minute to go, only awarded by referee Wayne
Barnes after big screens at the venue replayed Liam Messam’s high no-arms shot on Schalk Burger.
Since then, the All Blacks prevailed at Ellis Park 27-20 in 2015, stormed to a 57-15 win in Durban in 2016, pipped their hosts 25-24 in Cape Town in 2017, then surged to a late 32-30 victory in Pretoria in 2018.
That game four years ago was the last time the men in black had visited the republic, with the pandemic seeing last year’s Rugby Championship fully hosted in Australia and the Springboks not play at all in 2020, while 2019 was a World Cup year with a shortened Rugby Championship.
55 The amount of new All Blacks there have been since one made a debut against the Springboks.
With tighthead props Ofa Tuungafasi and Nepo Laulala both ruled out of the South Africa tour with injury, Ian
Foster has called up uncapped Crusader Fletcher Newell.
With new forwards coach Jason Ryan sure to be a big backer, the 22-year-old could be in line to be thrown straight in against the world champions in their own backyard.
The last All Black to face the Boks in their first test was Lima Sopoaga, in 2015, with Steve Hansen making the extra-bold call to run with him at No 10 in the hostile climes of Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.
And the silky first five-eighth put in a highly accomplished showing, kicking 12 points in a 27-20 Rugby Championship win.
59.41 The All Blacks’ overall winning percentage against the Springboks.
That is New Zealand’s worst against any test opponent, well back on their 69.4% against Australia (and 66.7% from one series against the World XV).
However, should the All Blacks win both their matches against the Boks over the next two weekends, it will take their win rate against them to 60.78% – the highest it’s been since triumphing in their first matchup in 1921.