Boks equipped for 'epic' Eden Park arm-wrestle
REACTION: Coach Rassie Erasmus is expecting an ‘epic’ arm-wrestle when the world’s two top teams, South Africa and New Zealand, go head-to-head in Auckland next month.
The Springboks departed the Republic on Tuesday for back-to-back Rugby Championship Tests at Eden Park (September 6) and the Wellington Regional Stadium (September 13).
Erasmus said he expects tremendous Tests against the All Blacks in Auckland and Wellington, but he was excited about the challenge ahead.
The two teams last faced off at Eden Park in 2013, with the Kiwis winning 29-15.
Subsequent encounters in Auckland were at the North Harbour Stadium (57-0 to the All Blacks) and Mount Smart Stadium (35-20 to the Kiwis).
The All Blacks have also not lost at Eden Park since 1994, when France beat them.
They drew 18-all with the Boks at the same venue that year.
No.8 Jasper Wiese has been recalled for the two-match trip, while fellow loose forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit and captain Siya Kolisi, who both missed the victory over Australia in Cape Town last Saturday due to injuries, have also been included.
Kolisi was originally ruled out of the tour to New Zealand due to an unspecified “niggle”, but Erasmus said the double World Cup winner had been “medically cleared to travel”.
Utility front row forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels, No.8 Jean-Luc du Preez and 100-cap fullback Willie le Roux, three other absentees against the Wallabies, have also recovered and been selected.
“The Rugby Championship is still wide open,” Erasmus said, adding: “All four teams have won a match in the first two rounds, so this tour is going to be vital for us.
“We’ll certainly take confidence from the win against Australia last week when we board the plane.
“Facing the All Blacks in New Zealand is a massive challenge, but all the teams in this competition are ranked among the top sides in the world, and each one has the potential to beat one another on the day.
“In the last two months alone, Australia defeated us at Ellis Park and went down narrowly in their British & Irish Lions series defeat, while Argentina defeated New Zealand last weekend and the British & Irish Lions.
“We are certainly not paying much attention to our historic records in New Zealand.
“We learned valuable lessons from our first game against Australia, and we know exactly what we have to do to reach our standards and improve as the competition progresses.
“I don’t think we need more motivation than that.”
Erasmus added: “We are under no illusions that both games are going to be massive, and every match against the All Blacks is epic given the rivalry between the teams.
“We won our last four matches against them dating back to 2023, which marked only the second time in history that we defeated them four times in a row, and there is no doubt that will motivate both teams.
“So, we need to ensure that we build on what we’ve been working on this year in the Incoming Series and Rugby Championship and take another step-up before facing them in two weeks.
“We are travelling to New Zealand Tuesday, which will give us sufficient time to acclimatise to the time zone, so we believe we will be settled and ready for the task ahead by the time we take the field.”
New Zealand and South Africa have been facing reach other since 1921, when the All Blacks beat the Springboks 13-5 in Dunedin 13–5.
It is the biggest rivalry in rugby history.
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