Boks v Kiwis: Past dance, future glance
STAT ATTACK: History is made to be broken, and it will be no different for the Springboks when they head to Eden Park looking to break a 30-year and 50-game winning streak against the All Blacks at their fortress.
History, however, is not something the Springboks can bank on.
Their last win at Eden Park came in 1937 (17-6), and they managed an 18-all draw in 1994.
Since then, they’ve suffered four losses at the iconic ground, their last outing being in 2013.
During the professional era (since 1996), the old foes faced off on 66 occasions, with South Africa winning 21 times and New Zealand 44; there was just one draw in 2019 (16-16).
South Africa scored 575 points during this period compared to New Zealand’s staggering amount of 1330.
The average score is a bit of a blowout in itself, with New Zealand holding a 20-9 advantage.
The Boks also managed to win merely four matches in Aotearoa during this period, along with the mentioned draw in 2019.
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There are plenty of records and permutations on the line ahead of the upcoming Eden Park clash.
South Africa can make it five wins in a row against the All Blacks for the first time in the professional era.
Their biggest winning streak occurred during the amateur era, when they won six Tests on the trot between 1937 and 1949.
New Zealand, during the professional era, had won eight consecutive Tests against the Boks between 2001 and 2004.
Their second-longest winning streak occurred between 2015 and 2017, during which they won six Tests consecutively, including a 57-0 drubbing in Albany, Auckland.
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A win for either side will make them slight favourites to clinch a hotly contested Rugby Championship.
Should the Springboks get the victory, they will retain the Freedom Cup they won in 2024 for the first time since 2009.
Should New Zealand win, it will set up a humdinger second Test at the Wellington Regional Stadium on September 13 to decide the Freedom Cup trophy and possibly the Rugby Championship.
The occasion also marks a 100th Test appearance for Ardie Savea, should he be selected.
The stage is set for a classic; the rugby world will stand still for 80 minutes as the two titans of the game lock horns.
History might not favour the Boks, but it is irrelevant on the day, and New Zealand will have the same mindset.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, history is meant to be broken, and Rassie Erasmus’ golden era Springboks hold all the credentials to do just that.
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