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Rankings on the line as Springboks host All Blacks at Ellis Park in Greatest Rivalry opener
The world number one ranking is on the line at Ellis Park on Saturday as South Africa (93.96) host New Zealand (92.28) in the opening match of the inaugural Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, with the All Blacks able to reclaim top spot with a win of any margin.
Savea refreshed and ready to 'go to dark places' against the Boks
Savea returns for his 110th cap after a deliberate rest period, talking up Test-series strategy, penalty discipline, and the unique psychological brutality of playing the Boks — with Ellis Park as the opening act.
Savea relishing Ellis Park Test after strategic rest, warns Boks will push All Blacks to their limits
Ardie Savea, rested for the franchise legs of the Greatest Rivalry tour on Dave Rennie's instruction, leads the All Blacks out at Ellis Park on Saturday for his 110th cap and 18th appearance against the Springboks, warning that the Boks consistently push opponents to their limits while stressing the importance of winning the first Test and maintaining discipline.
Stick backs De Villiers to deliver at openside against All Blacks
Mzwandile Stick backs Paul de Villiers as the right man to start at openside flank for the Springboks against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Stick backs De Villiers to start at openside against All Blacks
Mzwandile Stick says Paul de Villiers is the right man to start at openside for the Boks against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Du Toit to captain Springboks as Kolisi sits out Ellis Park All Blacks Test
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday as Siya Kolisi is held out of the All Blacks opener with a hamstring injury, in a precautionary call by Rassie Erasmus ahead of the four-Test series.
Du Toit to captain Boks against All Blacks as Kolisi sits out Ellis Park opener
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the Springboks against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday after Rassie Erasmus took a precautionary call to rest a hamstring-troubled Siya Kolisi ahead of the four-Test Rugby Championship series against New Zealand.
'If the All Blacks drop the first, winning the series is an Everest task'
Wall and Lowe argue the first Test at Ellis Park is effectively a must-win for the All Blacks, and break down why Rassie's uncharacteristically combative build-up signals just how much this series means to both sides.
Underdogs in Johannesburg: Why the All Blacks must win test one
Wall and Lowe make the case that All Black discipline and the opening quarter at Ellis Park will decide not just the first test but the shape of the entire series — and that for New Zealand, winning in South Africa eclipses even a World Cup.
The mind games have started — and the referee should be worried
Meagher reads the Johannesburg buildup as purposeful psychological warfare from both camps, with Erasmus and Rennie's public posturing signalling how much weight both sides attach to this four-Test series — and leaving the referee firmly in the crosshairs before a ball is kicked.
Mehrtens: Ellis Park is a mountain the All Blacks can't expect to climb
Mehrtens rates Ellis Park as a near-impossible assignment for the All Blacks, arguing the intensity will rival a World Cup final — the piece unpacks his reasoning.
Ardie's fired up for Ellis Park
Savea is talking big ahead of Saturday's Ellis Park clash, framing it as a warrior-versus-warrior contest. The piece explores his mindset going into the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry fixture.
Ardie's fired up for the Ellis Park showdown
Savea is relishing the return of the Boks-All Blacks rivalry at Ellis Park, with the full piece covering his pre-match mindset and what the fixture means to him.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to shine against the Boks at Ellis Park
Stephen Donald flags Josh Moorby as the All Blacks' quietly significant selection for Ellis Park — a player who barely registered at the start of the year but has forced his way in through a career-best Super Rugby campaign and, according to Donald, an X-factor that sets him apart from merely reliable footballers.
Mehrtens: Ellis Park is a mountain the All Blacks won't expect to summit
Mehrtens rates the Ellis Park atmosphere and Bok home advantage so highly that he doesn't expect the All Blacks to win — the piece expands on why he thinks the intensity will surpass a World Cup final.
Mehrtens: Ellis Park is a mountain the All Blacks can't expect to climb
Mehrtens says the All Blacks face a near-impossible task at Ellis Park on Saturday, predicting the match intensity will surpass a World Cup final and that New Zealand can't realistically expect a win.
Erasmus explains the 'touch-and-go' half-back call — and flags rotation ahead
Erasmus explains the Williams/Feinberg-Mngomezulu half-back call as a close decision driven by training and tactical fit rather than club combinations — and signals he's already planning rotation for Cape Town if Test One goes the Boks' way.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to shine against the Boks
Stephen Donald picks apart two surprise All Blacks selections for Ellis Park — Holland's comeback and, more intriguingly, Moorby's rise from journeyman to Test wing, which Donald puts down to an X-factor that simply can't be coached.
Stephen Donald backs Moorby's X-factor to justify surprise All Blacks selection against Boks
Donald flags Moorby and Holland as the two genuine surprises in Rennie's Ellis Park squad, arguing Moorby's X-factor — earned the hard way through a long domestic and overseas journey — has made him impossible to overlook for the Bok series opener.
Mertens: First Test at Ellis Park Is 'Monumental Hill to Climb' for All Blacks
Andrew Mertens calls the first test a 'monumental hill to climb' for the All Blacks, tips a tight Springbok win, and singles out Damian de Allende's 100th cap as the X-factor the All Blacks would most want to neutralise.