With Ellis Park hosting the first of four Tests this weekend — New Zealand's first tour of South Africa in 30 years — Rugby365 revisits the last five meetings between these sides to frame what's at stake. The record books still favour the All Blacks overall (63 wins to 43), but the Erasmus era has flipped the dynamic sharply: seven wins from 11 since 2019. The five-match retrospective covers the 2023 World Cup final, the 2024 Rugby Championship epic at Ellis Park where the Boks clawed back from 10 down with 11 minutes left, the Cape Town thriller decided by a McKenzie penalty miss, the 2022 Eden Park loss where Savea's last-minute turnover denied a Bok comeback, and the demolition job in Wellington — still the biggest Springbok winning margin ever recorded on New Zealand soil. Taken together, they paint a picture of a rivalry that has shifted in South Africa's favour, and one defined increasingly by Bok resilience under pressure rather than dominance from the front.
Five Tests That Define the Modern Springbok-All Black Rivalry
A match-by-match look at the last five Bok-All Black Tests — from the 2023 World Cup final to last year's Ellis Park fightback — setting the historical context for this weekend's first Test of a four-match series.
- New Zealand
- Springboks
- Rassie Erasmus
- Rugby World Cup
- Rugby Championship
- Eden Park
Tony Brown to join All Blacks backroom staff in 2028 after Springbok contract ends
NZR have confirmed Tony Brown will join the All Blacks' backroom staff in 2028 on a two-year contract, with the Springboks attack coach set to depart after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It is the third time NZR have pursued Brown, having previously been rejected during the Foster and Robertson eras.
Erasmus welcomes Brown clarity, vows not to repeat 2023 contract mistake
Rassie Erasmus has welcomed the early confirmation of Tony Brown's post-2027 move to the All Blacks, saying SA Rugby is determined not to repeat the mistake of leaving coaching futures unresolved in a World Cup year — a situation that played out with Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones before the 2023 tournament.
Erasmus welcomes clarity on Tony Brown's post-2027 departure: 'We've made the mistake in the past'
Tony Brown will join the All Blacks coaching staff in 2028 after his Springbok contract expires at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with Rassie Erasmus welcoming the early clarity as SA Rugby looks to avoid the contractual uncertainty that complicated preparations for France 2023.
Brown confirms post-2027 All Blacks move but eyes World Cup glory with Boks first
Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join Dave Rennie's All Blacks staff from 2028, but remains committed to helping South Africa win a third successive World Cup title before his departure.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.