The greatest rivalry in world rugby is back on South African soil. The Springboks run out against New Zealand’s All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in the opening Test of the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, with kick-off set for 5:10pm.
It is a fixture steeped in more than a century of history, and there are few better places to renew it than the famous old ground in Doornfontein, where the Boks lifted the World Cup in 1995. For South African fans, a home Test against the All Blacks remains the hottest ticket in the game.
A squad built for the battle
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says the side selected for the opener is well balanced, blending players who stayed in South Africa to prepare for the series with those who featured in the recent Test against Argentina.
“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited for the challenge this weekend,” Erasmus said on the Springboks website. “It certainly helped to have some players return from injury last week and get back into top-flight Test rugby, while some of the others who had a heavy workload in the Nations Championship had sufficient time to recover from the physical toll on them.”
The group has now been together for more than a week, and Erasmus says the whole squad is aligned on exactly how the team wants to play this weekend.
Ready for an 80-minute grind
The coach is under no illusions about the size of the task. New Zealand arrive with a well-rounded squad boasting physical forwards and an exciting backline, and Erasmus wants his side sharp from the first whistle.
“We are preparing for an 80-minute grind. They have a well-rounded squad with physical forwards and an exciting backline, so we have to be sharp and accurate in our execution from the outset,” he said.
History suggests the margins will be tiny. As Erasmus noted, many meetings between these two giants have gone down to the wire, which is why the Boks are placing a premium on taking their chances and keeping their discipline on point.
“It is going to be a big battle, but the entire squad is excited about the match and looking forward to it,” Erasmus said.
A festival of rugby for Mzansi
Saturday’s Test is only the start of a feast of world-class rugby for local supporters. The new Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series brings the All Blacks to South Africa for a proper tour, with the second Test to follow at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 29 August, giving fans in two provinces the chance to watch the world’s two most decorated rugby nations go head to head.
Whatever the scoreboard says at full-time, a packed Ellis Park roaring the Boks on against the old enemy is one of the great occasions in South African sport, and on Saturday evening the eyes of the rugby world will once again be on Johannesburg.
Details of the squad and build-up were reported by SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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