New Zealand look to clinch Rugby Championship with Springboks win

2021 Rugby Championship

Round 5

New Zealand v South Africa

Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Townsville, Queensland, Australia 

Saturday, 25 September 2021

Kick-off is at 09h05 CAT

New Zealand will do battle with South Africa in round five of the 2021 Rugby Championship at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium on September 25.

The All Blacks claimed a 36-13 win over Argentina in their fourth match in the tournament which was played in Brisbane, Australia on September 18.

Patrick Tuipulotu, TJ Perenara, Tupou Vaa’i (twice) and Samisoni Taukei’aho each contributed tries for a fourth bonus-point win from four matches. 

Therefore, New Zealand moved 10 points clear of South Africa on the Rugby Championship standings ahead of a double-header against the world champions.

The All Blacks have now turned their attention to South Africa’s Springboks in what will be the historic 100th Test between the two giants of world rugby.

A  victory for New Zealand over the Springboks this weekend will see them clinch the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2018.

The former world champions remain undefeated in this year’s tournament having recorded two wins over Australia and another two over Argentina. 

All Blacks scrum coach Greg Feek admitted to keeping half an eye on South Africa during their clash with Argentina to be ready as the two sides worked towards their final two games.

“It’s the true test for us this week. These guys have won the World Cup and parts of their game have been hugely dominant and that marker is something we’re always going to be striving for,” Feek said.

“I know the boys will be up for this, we need to be pretty clinical, very clinical actually, to match them. Their set-piece, their scrum, are two of their more x-factor parts of their game. We’re fully aware of that,” he said.

The last match between New Zealand and South Africa was on 21 September 2019.

The All Blacks defeated the Springboks 23-13 in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B at the Japan International Stadium Yokohama in Japan. 

head-to-Head – across all competitions 

Matches – 99

New Zealand – 59 

South Africa – 36

Draws – 4

Springbok team to face New Zealand:

15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 68 caps, 60 pts (12t) 

14 – Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks) – 14 caps, 40 pts (8t) 

13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 21 caps, 25 pts (5t) 

12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 53 caps, 30 pts (6t) 

11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 20 caps, 80 pts (16t) 

10 – Handre Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 55 caps, 544 pts (6t, 83c, 112p, 4d) 

9 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 34 caps, 25 pts (5t) 

8 – Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls) – 56 caps, 15 pts (3t)

7 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 14 caps, 5 pts (1t) 

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 58 caps, 30 pts (6t) 

5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 51 caps, 25 pts (5t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 92 caps, 15 pts (3t) 

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 45 caps, 5 pts (1t) 

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 43 caps, 45 pts (9t) 

1 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 49 caps, 5pts (1t)

Replacements: 

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 41 caps, 45 pts (9t) 

17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 54 caps, 5pts (1t) 

18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 26 caps, 0 pts 

19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 46 caps, 5pts (1t) 

20 – Marco van Staden (Leicester Tigers) – 8 caps, 0 pts 

21 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 16 caps, 25 pts (5t) 

22 – Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) – 40 caps, 300 pts (2t, 64c, 54p)

23 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 69 caps, 141pts (11t, 7c, 21p, 3d)