All Blacks coach Scott Robertson will name his side for the second test against the Springboks at Cape Town Stadium at 5pm.
Follow all the action on the Herald’s live blog below with all the headlines from the week as we build up to the announcement.
All Blacks v Springboks, Rugby Championship test, 3am, Sunday, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
All you need to know as Scott Robertson’s side look to bounce back against the Boks.
All Blacks v South Africa history
Played 107
All Blacks won 62
South Africa won 41
Draws 4
The All Blacks side will play at Cape Town Stadium for the first time, a venue that was used for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. In their 11 previous visits to Cape Town, dating back to the 1928 tour, they have played at Newlands Stadium where New Zealand have an impressive 7-3 record against South Africa. They also thrashed England in the 1995 World Cup semifinal at Newlands.
Their previous visit to Cape Town was in 2017, a 25-24 victory in which Damian McKenzie had a standout performance.
Sunday’s 27-31 defeat at Ellis Park was the All Blacks’ third in 12 months against South Africa, including the warm-up test thrashing at Twickenham and the Rugby World Cup final.
The last time New Zealand lost three straight to the Springboks was in 2009, after Tri Nations defeats in Bloemfontein and Durban were followed by a 32-29 loss in Hamilton.
The All Blacks haven’t lost four in a row to their great rivals since 1949, when the Springboks won the test series 4-0. That was part of a six-test losing streak after the Boks won the last two matches of the 1937 series.
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