Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Kicks Off: Springboks Host All Blacks at Ellis Park

The wait is over, Mzansi.

The Springboks have named their team to face the All Blacks, and now there is nothing left but to get to Ellis Park and see which of these two rugby giants blinks first.

South Africa host New Zealand on Saturday, 22 August 2026, with kick-off at 17:10 SAST in Johannesburg. It is the opening Test of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour and the first of four Tests between the Springboks and All Blacks over the next few weeks.

And ja, this one is going to be massive.

The All Blacks have already spent the last few weeks touring South Africa, but Saturday is when the real business starts.

Springboks Name Their Side for Ellis Park

Rassie Erasmus kept everyone guessing before finally revealing his selection on Thursday.

The Springbok coach had deliberately delayed the announcement, with the team only being confirmed two days before kick-off. That gave Erasmus extra time to assess his players following the 17-10 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires and, perhaps just as importantly, gave New Zealand less time to prepare for the exact combination coming their way.

South Africa have plenty of experience returning to the side after being carefully managed during the opening part of the season.

The Springbok squad was built around a mixture of World Cup-winning experience and exciting young talent, with Du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx, Sasha, Williams and other experienced campaigners returning to the mix.

The big selection questions centred on Kolisi’s fitness, the halfback combination and how Erasmus would balance experience with the form of some of the younger players.

Now we know.

And with a 62,000-strong Ellis Park crowd expected, the Boks will have no shortage of backing from the stands.

A Proper Old-School Rivalry Is Back

This isn’t just another Rugby Championship fixture.

The Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry concept brings back something that has been missing from the international rugby calendar for decades: a proper tour.

The All Blacks’ 2026 visit to South Africa includes matches against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions, followed by four Tests against the Springboks. It is the first major All Blacks tour of South Africa since 1996.

And New Zealand have certainly made themselves comfortable in South Africa.

They opened their tour with a 38-21 win over the Stormers, followed that up with a brutal 54-0 victory over the Sharks, and then hammered the Bulls 50-19 at Loftus Versfeld.

That is 142 points scored in three matches.

Not bad.

But now they face the world champions.

The Boks Have a Point to Prove

South Africa arrive at Ellis Park with plenty of confidence of their own.

The Springboks won all three of their opening Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales, before beating Argentina 17-10 in Buenos Aires.

That Argentina victory extended their Test winning run to 12 matches.

The Boks have also won five of the last six meetings against New Zealand, including the historic 43-10 demolition in Wellington.

But previous results don’t count for much on Saturday.

Malcolm Marx has already highlighted how important the breakdown will be, with the Springboks expecting New Zealand to challenge them aggressively at the ruck.

And that could be where this game is won.

All Blacks Have Plenty of Firepower

Dave Rennie’s All Blacks haven’t come to South Africa simply to make up the numbers.

The three franchise victories have given New Zealand plenty of confidence, while several of their key Test players were managed carefully during those matches.

Players such as Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan and Codie Taylor bring serious experience to the New Zealand side.

The All Blacks have also been boosted by the expected return of key players who were rested or managed during the provincial matches.

But they have had injury problems during the tour, with Caleb Clarke, George Bell, Billy Proctor and Ollie Norris among those ruled out.

That could become important as this four-Test series develops.

Springboks vs All Blacks: Key Battle

If you want to know where to watch this match, start with the forwards.

The breakdown, scrum and lineout will be absolutely massive.

The All Blacks want fast ball and quick attacking opportunities. The Springboks want to slow New Zealand’s momentum, dominate the gain line and put pressure on the visitors with their physicality.

If South Africa can get their maul going, New Zealand are going to have a long afternoon.

The Boks also have the luxury of bringing serious firepower from the bench, which could become particularly important during the final 20 minutes.

That’s when things could get lekker messy.

Springboks vs All Blacks Betting Markets

For South African punters looking at Springboks vs All Blacks betting, the match offers plenty of popular rugby markets.

The main markets to look for include:

Match winner

Points handicap

Total match points

Team total points

Half-time result

Half-time/full-time

Winning margin

First try scorer

Anytime try scorer

Next try scorer

Total tries

Team tries

In-play match winner

In-play handicap

Winning margin bands

The Springboks are expected to go into the match as favourites with South African bookmakers, but the All Blacks’ three big wins on tour should make punters think twice before assuming this will be a walk in the park.

Always check the latest bookmaker prices before placing a bet, as odds and available markets can change before kick-off.

Springboks vs All Blacks Prediction

This is where I am backing the Boks.

New Zealand have looked seriously good on tour, but those three franchise matches cannot really be compared with a Test at Ellis Park against a full-strength Springbok side.

South Africa have the home crowd, superior recent head-to-head record and arguably the deeper pack.

The key will be patience.

The Boks don’t need to chase the game. They need to squeeze New Zealand, win the territory battle, dominate the breakdown and make those big carries count.

If they do that, I expect the All Blacks to struggle in the second half.

My prediction: Springboks 31-21 All Blacks

I’m expecting a tight first half before the Springboks start pulling away.

New Zealand should score points because they have too much attacking quality not to, but I fancy the Boks to win the physical battle and close the game out.

Springboks to win.

For the handicap market, I’d be more comfortable backing South Africa if the line stays around the -7.5 mark, although the straight match-winner market is the safer option.

The First of Four

Saturday is only the opening chapter.

After Ellis Park, the rivalry moves to DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 29 August, before the third Test at FNB Stadium in Soweto on 5 September. The fourth and final Test takes the rivalry to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on 12 September, giving the series a proper international finale.

But before we start worrying about Cape Town, Soweto and Baltimore, there is one job at hand.

Ellis Park.

The All Blacks have had their warm-up games.

The Boks have named their side.

Now it is time to see what happens when the two best teams in world rugby go head-to-head for real.

Saturday is the moment.

Bring on the haka.

Bring on the Boks.

Let’s gooi!