The All Blacks and Springboks will clash for the 106th time - and for the second time in a Rugby World Cup final - when they do battle at Stade de France on Sunday.
The two nations have been playing test rugby against each other since 1921, when
Rugby World Cup final: All Blacks v South Africa - 10 greatest tests, how the numbers stack up
NZ Herald
9 mins to read
The All Blacks and Springboks will clash for the 104th time on Saturday. Photos / Photosport
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Ahead of another chapter being written in men’s rugby’s most-storied history the Herald lists the top 10 encounters between the two great rugby rivals (the 1921 0-0 barnburner does not make the cut).
10) 2014 Rugby Championship, Ellis Park - South Africa 27, New Zealand 25
A gripping contest which showcased an emerging creative spirit from the Springboks. The home side was rampant in the first half, the All Blacks defiant in halting the onslaught in the second. In keeping with the history of these two famed rugby warriors, controversy reigned. Pat Lambie’s massive winning penalty came thanks to a contentious high tackle decision against Liam Messam. Referee Wayne Barnes, in charge of Sunday’s final, was coerced into the ruling by the crowd’s reaction to big-screen replays, a dodgy method which produced a fair result.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
9) 2018 Rugby Championship, Loftus Versfeld - South Africa 30, New Zealand 32
The All Blacks, very ordinary for large periods, looked dead. Down 30-13 in the final quarter, the inspired Springboks were in total control.
The All Blacks had no right to win. But with one of the best responses you will ever see they somehow rallied to stun the locals.
Three second-half tries to Aaron Smith, Rieko Ioane and Scott Barrett got them within touching distance of the seemingly unthinkable. Richie Mo’unga, who moments earlier got a favourable bounce with his penalty kick landing five metres out from the Boks line, then stepped up to nail the match-winning conversion. Cool as ice.
8) 2018 Rugby Championship, Westpac Stadium - New Zealand 34, South Africa 36
A brilliant game and a brilliant turnaround from the Springboks that no one saw coming.
They gave one of the great defensive performances of the age and their ability to hang on for the final 20 minutes was sensational.
The tension was unbearable, the Boks gripping on and the All Blacks playing all the rugby and yet not quite able to finish the many half chances they created.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Beauden Barrett didn't kick his goals and even in the last play of the game they could still and should have won it but Damian McKenzie let go of the ball.
And besides, the Boks were superb and they earned the win. Their attacking rugby was good, excellent at times, but what about that defence?
They just didn't miss a tackle around the fringes and the All Blacks battered away at the ruck but couldn't score in those final five minutes despite having laid siege to the Boks' line.
7) 1981 third test, Eden Park - New Zealand 25, South Africa 22
This will always be the most controversial test in rugby history, with anti-apartheid protests against the tour reaching a head.
There was violence outside the ground, and a light plane buzzed the game dropping flares and flour bombs, one of which hit All Black prop Gary Knight. (Bok captain Wynand Claassen famously enquired whether New Zealand had an air force.)
Skinny Wellington fullback Allan Hewson – whose wife boycotted the tour – broke the series deadlock with a penalty deep in added time.
6) 1956 fourth test, Eden Park - New Zealand 11, South Africa 5
A dramatic and sometimes violent test series concluded with an historic New Zealand victory.
The North Auckland No 8 Peter Jones attained instant legendary status, his long-range try powering the All Blacks to a victory which sealed their first series triumph over the mighty foe.
It meant the embarrassing 0-4 defeat in South Africa in 1949 had been atoned for, although the bitterness in this series meant victory was not quite as sweet as it should have been.
5) 2010 Tri Nations, Soweto - New Zealand 29, South Africa 22
After a Tri Nations start that included three home wins and victory against the Wallabies in Melbourne, the true test for the 2010 All Blacks was how they would do in the white-hot atmosphere of 94,000 fans at FNB Stadium in Soweto.
The All Blacks' 14th straight win looked unlikely after Carter missed a penalty from a handy position while trailing 22-17 with eight minutes remaining but Richie McCaw tied the match up a few minutes later with a controversial try. Then, with time almost up, Ma'a Nonu broke up the middle of the field from New Zealand's own half, ran through a tackle of South African skipper John Smit, playing in his 100th test, and found substitute Israel Dagg out wide who crossed the line in the 80th minute to give New Zealand a famous win.
4) 2015 World Cup semifinal, Twickenham - New Zealand 20, South Africa 18
A brilliant show of composure from the All Blacks allowed them to hold off the Springboks in a gripping World Cup semifinal in which either team could have won in the final seconds. The Springboks put in a typically defiant performance and almost, almost, got home.
It was an excruciating match to watch for the All Blacks supporters in the crowd of 80,000 – and there were a lot of them. Memories from the final of 2011 were never far away. And while they scored the only tries of the match – through Jerome Kaino in the right corner in the first half and Beauden Barrett in the left corner in the second, they simply couldn’t break free. Carter’s composure with the boot led the All Blacks in a strong second-half display after they trailed 12-7 at halftime.
3) 1996 second test, Loftus Versfeld - South Africa 26, New Zealand 33
This was the last mountain for the All Blacks to scale, a victory for all those who had travelled and failed to win a series in South Africa in five previous tours since 1928.
This was for all those who had won the black jersey but never tasted the triumph. Several tasty tries from the gifted Jeff Wilson bounced New Zealand out of the blocks well and a Zinzan Brooke scrum special created a 21-11 lead at the break.
Simon Culhane was injured and once again it was Jon Preston, who came from the bench, this time at first five eighth, and kicked some vital penalties.
There was also a late Zinzan Brooke dropped goal but then several minutes of heroic goalline defence for the All Blacks before referee Didier Mene whistled them into the history pages. Many were too exhausted to celebrate as they lay on the turf in Pretoria trying to deal with all the emotion of the historic moment.
2) 1995 World Cup final, Ellis Park - South Africa 15, New Zealand 12
Many will say it was preordained that the Rainbow Nation would collect the World Cup in their first attempt. They hosted the tournament which had many twists and a number of inglorious episodes but for sheer joy, intrigue and novelty has to rate with the best in the tournament’s history.
The All Blacks cantered to the final, the Boks just got there, after a controversial rain-drenched semifinal against France in Durban. Then the fortunes changed.
The All Blacks were stricken by food poisoning which left many of them debilitated, the Boks double – and triple-teamed tournament-sensation Jonah Lomu as the game became an all-kick shootout. Andrew Mehrtens narrowly missed a dropped goal three minutes before referee Ed Morrison signalled extra-time.
When Joel Stransky kicked a dropped goal in the second period, there was no way back for the All Blacks as Francois Pienaar, at his side, President Nelson Mandela and what seemed like the entire Republic, began days of mass celebration.
1) 2013 Rugby Championship, Ellis Park - South Africa 27, New Zealand 38
One of the finest tests in rugby history led by a truly great performance from No. 8 Kieran Read (he got a perfect 10 in the Herald ratings). The Herald’s Wynne Gray wrote “no modern test has delivered as much quality and controversy”. From sin bin rulings to the All Blacks supplying an incorrect team sheet, this nine-try thriller belongs in the hall of fame. Beauden Barrett was like super slippery soap in scoring the bonus-point try which clinched the title. Rugby doesn’t get better than this as the All Blacks hurtled to their first win at the ground in 16 years.
All Blacks v South Africa, World Cup final
8am, Sunday
Follow live updates: nzherald.co.nz
Listen to commentary: Join Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio, or catch the ACC on iHeartRadio or Hauraki
Get full coverage of the Rugby World Cup.
