It all started on August 13 1921 when the first game between the Springboks and the All Blacks gave birth to the world’s greatest rugby rivalry.
As if the rugby stars were aligned, the 103rd clash between these fierce adversaries will play out on Saturday, August 13 at what some would call the ‘Boks’ fortress’, Ellis Park (Emirates Airline Park).
In the 14 contests played at the iconic stadium, the Boks have been victorious on nine occasions, the most satisfying being the beating of the ‘old foe’ in the 95 World Cup. Who will forget Joel Stransky sending South Africans into a frenzy with ‘that drop goal’, and Madiba, proudly wearing the No 6 Bok jersey, raising his arms in victory on the hallowed turf?
And there is no better time for the Green and Gold to make that 10 wins, with the All Blacks somewhat in disarray. The New Zealanders arrived here on the back of a first home series defeat to Ireland.
The Boks added to that ‘pain from Down Under’ with a clinical dismantling of the Kiwis in a 26–10 win in Mbombela last Saturday.
The Bokke put paid to a painful four-match winning streak of New Zealand in South Africa, which includes a 20–27 loss at Ellis Park in 2015.
In the first game of this year’s Rugby Championship, Siya Kolisi’s men simply dominated in all facets of the game. The Boks’ set pieces – lineouts and scrums – were immaculate, they won the tactical aerial battle, outmuscled the All Blacks in the physical exchanges, and in his 50th cap for the Bokke, Malcolm Marx was like a limpet mine on the ball at the breakdowns.
Need it be said, Ellis Park has been sold out for weeks.
Local rugby scribes always warn of ‘a wounded Springbok’ in times of defeat but this Saturday, beware of a ‘cut-up Kiwi’.
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