All Blacks vs Springboks 33-16: New Zealand Stun South Africa at Ellis Park
South Africa 16–33 New Zealand | Ellis Park, 22 August 2026
Five tries to one. The All Blacks lead Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry 1-0.
FULL TIME — 22 August 2026: New Zealand won the opening All Blacks vs Springboks test 33-16 at Ellis Park, and it was not close by the end. South Africa led 13-12 at the break and had the better of the early scrum, but the All Blacks scored five tries to one and pulled clear in a second half that turned decisively against the hosts. Will Jordan crossed twice, extending his record as New Zealand’s leading try scorer, with Josh Moorby, Fabian Holland and Luke Jacobson also dotting down. Andre Esterhuizen scored South Africa’s only try, and Cheslin Kolbe kicked the rest of their points.
The decisive stretch came in the final ten minutes, when Marco van Staden and Cobus Reinach were both sent to the sin bin and South Africa finished the match with thirteen men. Dave Rennie’s replacement front row had already turned the scrum — a traditional Springbok strength — into a liability, and Jordie Barrett’s defensive work repeatedly shut down South Africa’s most promising attacking positions. For a side that arrived as underdogs, in Johannesburg, against the world champions, it was as complete a performance as the All Blacks have produced since 2023.
Saturday 22 August. Ellis Park, Johannesburg. South Africa versus New Zealand. The All Blacks vs Springboks first test of 2026 kicks off what may be the most ambitious All Blacks vs Springboks series ever staged — four tests across two continents, concluding on 12 September at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, United States. The Freedom Cup is on the line. Siya Kolisi’s fitness is in doubt. Richie Mo’unga is back. And New Zealand are arriving in South Africa with something to prove after the most humiliating defeat in their history. This is Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry — and it starts this Saturday.
The Series — Four Tests, Two Continents
The 2026 All Blacks vs Springboks series is unlike anything rugby has staged before. Four test matches, played across South Africa and ending in the United States, with the Freedom Cup decided over the full series rather than a single match or two-test split. The schedule:
- 22 August — Ellis Park, Johannesburg (16:10 BST / 11:10 ET / 17:10 SAST)
- 29 August — Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
- 5 September — FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
- 12 September — M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA 🇺🇸
The Baltimore finale is the series’ centrepiece off the pitch — the first time a New Zealand vs South Africa test has ever been played in the United States, staged at an NFL stadium with a capacity of 70,000 and designed to bring world rugby’s greatest rivalry to a new audience. It is already sold out.
The Last 10 Meetings — South Africa in Command
The recent head-to-head record tells a clear story. South Africa have dominated the All Blacks vs Springboks fixture across the last four years:
- 2021: NZ 19–17 SA (Townsville)
- 2021: SA 31–29 NZ
- 2022: SA 26–10 NZ (Mbombela)
- 2022: SA 19–16 NZ (Johannesburg)
- 2023: SA 35–7 NZ (London, warm-up)
- 2023 RWC Final: SA 12–11 NZ (Paris) 🏆
- 2024: SA 31–27 NZ (Ellis Park)
- 2024: SA 18–12 NZ (Cape Town)
- 2025: NZ 24–17 SA (Eden Park)
- 2025: SA 43–10 NZ (Wellington) — heaviest All Blacks defeat in history
South Africa have won 8 of the last 10 meetings. The 43–10 Wellington result last September — the heaviest defeat in All Blacks history — is the wound that has not healed in New Zealand rugby. This series is partly about redemption. All Blacks coach Dave Rennie described the Wellington result as “unacceptable” and has spoken repeatedly about the squad’s desire to respond. Ellis Park on Saturday is where that response begins.
Overall Head-to-Head
In 108 All Blacks vs Springboks tests, New Zealand lead 62–42 with 4 draws. But the Springboks hold the two things that matter most right now: the Rugby World Cup (won in Paris 2023) and the Freedom Cup (won in Wellington 2025). This four-test series is New Zealand’s chance to reclaim both the cup and the narrative.
Siya Kolisi — The Injury Cloud Over South Africa
Siya Kolisi is not in the matchday 23. The Springboks captain injured his hamstring in the 25th minute of South Africa’s 17–10 win over Argentina on 8 August, and Rassie Erasmus has chosen not to risk him: “we thought it would be best to select Paul for this weekend’s game.” Erasmus had deliberately rested 15 key Springboks from that Argentina match to prepare them for this series, only for his captain to be the one player who picked up a serious injury. Pieter-Steph du Toit captains South Africa in his place.
Likely Lineups
South Africa — confirmed: Pieter-Steph du Toit captains from openside flanker. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at fly-half, partnered by Grant Williams at scrum-half. Damian de Allende wins his 100th Test cap in midfield. Eben Etzebeth continues in the second row. Siya Kolisi is omitted entirely as a precaution — Rassie Erasmus explained that “we thought it would be best to select Paul for this weekend’s game” with Kolisi still recovering. Only Etzebeth and Feinberg-Mngomezulu are retained from the side that beat Argentina on 8 August; seven more of that group are on the bench.
New Zealand — confirmed: Ardie Savea captains from number eight. Damian McKenzie has recovered from his ankle problem and starts at fullback, with Will Jordan and Josh Moorby on the wings. Ruben Love wears the number 10, partnering Cam Roigard at scrum-half. Richie Mo’unga is named in the squad as fly-half cover on his return from three seasons in Japan. Sam Cane, Scott Barrett (injured) and Mark Tele’a are not part of this series.
Richie Mo’unga — The Return
The All Blacks’ squad announcement that caught the rugby world’s attention was the recall of Richie Mo’unga. The 32-year-old fly-half — who played in the 2023 World Cup final defeat to South Africa and spent three seasons at Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan — was called up on 13 August as an injury replacement, his first involvement with the All Blacks since Paris. He does not start at Ellis Park — Ruben Love has the 10 jersey and Damian McKenzie is at fullback. But Mo’unga against the Springboks is a story this series will return to. For the full Mo’unga story, see our profile of his return.
All Blacks 50-19 Bulls — The Warning Shot
The warning signs were there. If the Springboks needed a reminder of what the All Blacks vs Springboks opener would bring, New Zealand provided it on 15 August at Loftus Versfeld. New Zealand beat the Vodacom Bulls 50-19 in Pretoria — eight tries, 24-0 at half-time, flanker Anton Segner named Man of the Match — in the most commanding performance of the Greatest Rivalry tour so far. The All Blacks have now won all three tour matches, scoring 130 points in the process. They arrive at Ellis Park unbeaten, in form, and — according to everyone who watched the Bulls game — playing with a cohesion and attacking intent that Dave Rennie’s side has not previously shown. South Africa were warned.
Damian de Allende Reaches 100 Caps
This All Blacks vs Springboks opener carried a milestone beyond the result. Damian de Allende was named to win his 100th Test cap for South Africa, becoming only the tenth player in Springbok history to reach the mark, joining a list that includes Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Eben Etzebeth. The centre has started every major Springbok knockout match of the last decade, including both the 2019 and 2023 World Cup finals. Reaching the mark against New Zealand, at Ellis Park, in the opening test of a four-match series, was about as fitting a stage as South African rugby could have arranged — even if the night did not end the way the hosts wanted.
What Makes This Series Different
Beyond the four-test format and the Baltimore finale, this All Blacks vs Springboks series matters because both coaches are still building. Rassie Erasmus has nine years of Springbok dominance behind him and a squad depth he describes as greater than anything he has previously managed. Dave Rennie is two months into the All Blacks job, having taken over from Ian Foster after the 2025 Rugby Championship disaster, and has won every match he has coached so far — including a 40–21 dismantling of Ireland at Eden Park that suggested his systems are working faster than expected.
The RWC 2027 in Australia is fourteen months away. Both nations are in the pool stage together — South Africa and New Zealand are on a potential collision course for the knockout rounds. What happens across these four All Blacks vs Springboks tests will define the pecking order going into that tournament. For Argentina’s role in the Greatest Rivalry picture, see our piece on Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and what Argentina have to do with it.
How to Watch All Blacks vs Springboks 2026
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Sky Sports — kick-off 16:10 BST Saturday 22 August.
🇺🇸 United States: RugbyPass TV — kick-off 11:10 ET / 08:10 PT. Free to air for all four tests in the USA.
🇿🇦 South Africa: SuperSport — kick-off 17:10 SAST.
🇦🇺 Australia: Stan Sport — kick-off 01:10 AEST Sunday 23 August.
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Sky Sport / Sky Go — kick-off 03:10 NZST Sunday 23 August. All four tests also available on free-to-air Three and ThreeNow on delay.
🇦🇷 Argentina: ESPN / Disney+ — kick-off 12:10 Saturday 22 August.
Watch in Style
📺 Amazon Fire TV Stick — stream Sky Sports and every All Blacks vs Springboks test of the Greatest Rivalry series on your TV.
📖 All Blacks vs Springboks rugby books on Amazon UK — the history of the greatest rivalry in world sport.
🍺 Craft beer hampers on Amazon UK — for the 16:10 BST Saturday kick-off.
