All Blacks and Springboks renew rivalry on New Zealand soil
- 1431
South Africa's absence from New Zealand shores since 2019 makes it the longest time without a Test match here since the end of South Africa's international ban in 1992.
The last Test played was the 16-16 draw at SKY Stadium in Wellington.
The 102-year rivals have played five Tests since. The first was their Rugby World Cup opener in Yokohama in 2019, the All Blacks winning 23-13 – the only loss the Springboks suffered in their World Cup triumph.
The Covid-19 pandemic knocked out their planned Tests in 2020 while the 2021 Rugby Championship was staged at Australian venues, the teams sharing their two matches, New Zealand winning the first, the 100th Test between the sides, 19-17 in Townsville and losing the second in Robina 29-31.
Both their Investec Rugby Championship Tests were played in South Africa last year. The first in Mbombela was a 10-26 loss for New Zealand before they turned their effort around in a week to win 35-23 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
While only one Rugby Championship Test is scheduled this year, at Mt Smart Stadium on Matariki weekend, the teams will play a historic non-World Cup Test at Twickenham as part of their tournament preparation on August 25.
Depending on how they finish in their groups, they could meet for a third time at the World Cup in either the quarter or semifinals.
The sides have met five times in World Cup games, but the 2019 All Blacks win was the first time they had met in pool play.
In 1995 their first Cup contest was the celebrated final won by South Africa in extra time from a Joel Stransky dropped goal.
In both 1999 and 2003, they played off for third and fourth. The South Africans won the first at Twickenham, 22-18, while the All Blacks won the second in Sydney, 29-9.
Their remaining game was the 2015 semifinal at Twickenham, won by New Zealand 20-18.
Since the first meeting in 1921, they have played 103 Tests, New Zealand has won 61 Tests, and South Africa 38 with four drawn. In 45 Tests played in New Zealand, the home team has won 32 times with three draws, while in 52 Tests played in South Africa, the home team has won 26, one more than the All Blacks, with one drawn.
New Zealanders have dominated the individual scoring between the countries.
