All Blacks vs South Africa

All Blacks coach says it's about more than meeting Boks force with Kiwi might in the Rugby Championship opener at Mbombela Stadium.

A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. Much is made of the last series, but we were in the process of putting blocks in place. If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. He came in for the third [Irish] test, and we felt he did some really good things. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. He’s a big, physical man, but he’s going to need to be.” Physicality is not his only purpose, but it is a key strength. No, but we’ve got a lot of faith in areas where we want to grow our game. “They’re definitely not a one-trick pony – that’s just a fallacy. They’re a great team … but it’s about us not getting too hung up on that and going in with a mindset to play our game. You don’t become world champions if you're not proficient in a lot of areas. Ta’avao, Taukei’aho and sophomore loosehead George Bower look set for a brutal examination up front.

Ian Foster has made changes to the starting side that were beaten by Ireland in Wellington.

Get all the important numbers that matter provided by Opta for the Rugby Championship opener between the Springboks and All Blacks in Mbombela on Saturday.

– The All Blacks have lost each of their past two Tests played outside New Zealand after winning eight of their previous nine (L1); they have not lost three away matches in a row since a run of three straight defeats between July and August 1998, a run which included a defeat by South Africa (24-23). – New Zealand have won just one of their plast five men’s Tests (L4) and suffered defeat in each of their last two; the All Blacks have not lost three Tests in a row since a run of five straight defeats between July and August 1998, a sequence which included two defeats by South Africa. – New Zealand have won nine of their past 12 men’s Tests against South Africa (D1, L2); the All Blacks have won each of their past four matches on South African soil, however, their last two such victories have come by margins of just two points or fewer.

Scott Barrett joins Sam Whitelock in the locking department with Brodie Retallick unavailable due to injury, while Tupou Vaa'i will look to make his impact late ...

"This year's draw means we have a massive challenge of two games here in the South Africa. Tyrel Lomax and Ethan de Groot - neither of whom were selected in the squad for the Ireland series - will provide cover from the bench. "Many of our squad are here in South Africa for the first time.

The All Blacks travel to South Africa for a two-game series to open the Rugby Championship, and the pressure is intense.

But for now, they will concentrate on the weeks ahead. And they will believe there is a platform to make real inroads. The Wallabies are in need of a big win themselves. Although they did not quite build on their historic first win over New Zealand in 2020 the following season, Argentina are still moving forward. The big guns returned for the decider as they sealed a series victory on a comfortable 30-14 scoreline. In the previous World Cup cycle, it was year three when they began to raise the tempo.

Beauden Barrett has again been named to start at first-five, with Richie Mo'unga on the bench.

Arch rivals South Africa and New Zealand will open proceedings in this year's Rugby Championship when they do battle in Mbombela on Saturday.

All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith weighed in ahead of their trip to South Africa. Video / Carson Bluck. NZ Herald. Live updates of the Rugby ...

Nothing on the level of New Zealand's reaction to their team, though. The Springboks are favourites to win both tests, but more by New Zealand's dip in form than their own impressiveness. And yet South Africa may offer some refuge for the under-fire All Blacks, who have escaped the criticism back home for the last week as they prepare for the first Springboks match on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium, a remote and rarely used test rugby venue in South Africa's northern wilderness. "New Zealand have always tested us to the limit," South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber says. The three other games were also away in South Africa, and New Zealand lost all three. Coach Ian Foster's job is hanging by a thread and his two most senior assistant coaches have already been cut loose, both fired following the historic series loss at home to Ireland last month.

South Africa give up their first penalty. Well played Ardie Savea who wins the penalty within five metres of the NZ line! Can the All Blacks begin to turn the ...

It always matters when South Africa meet New Zealand but this Saturday the two face each other in a clash which could have massive ramifications. However, if they can get a win on the road in South Africa then that pressure will ease and it could reinvigorate the team as they compete in the Rugby Championship and look forward into next year. New Zealand have rarely ventured over the halfway. Then they struggle to do with South Africa's power after the hosts call for a scrum. Lood de Jager then gets pinged and New Zealand can relieve the pressure. Another penalty for New Zealand after a brilliant scrum forces Nyakane to his knee. A seven-point lead does not flatter South Africa at all and that breakdown steal from Ardie Savea, which came off the back of some really unimaginative phase-play from South Africa, could prove a big moment in the final shake-up... It eventually gets turned over and cleared up field but the pressure doesn't stop and South Africa are back in that same position moments later. South Africa boot it long downfield and into touch. New Zealand have the ball around 10 metres out and Jordan makes a break, it looks like he's off but a little ankle tap brings him down. Yes. South Africa clear the ball and New Zealand attempt a quick lineout, only to throw it in at an angle. More ill-discipline from New Zealand who close the gap at the lineout.

New Zealand return to action for the first time since the series defeat to Andy Farrell's Ireland.

The ensuing years have seen that myth unravel, with a semi-final exit from the 2019 World Cup in Japan and the retirements of a slew of greats. The back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015 burnished the All Blacks' myth as an untouchable force playing a different game to their rivals. A year out from a World Cup, the All Blacks would normally be fine-tuning combinations and building belief with a string of thumping wins but instead find themselves mired in their biggest crisis of confidence in decades.

But it is a gigantic one, the men in black opening their Rugby Championship campaign with back-to-back clashes against their greatest rivals, the Springboks, in ...

The results? A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment.

Ian Foster's All Blacks are on their worst run of form since 1998 and lost a Test series to Ireland on home soil for the first time last month.

Moreover, this is a Springboks side who lost to Wales – themselves a team in need of narrative and momentum – for the first time in South Africa last month, though admittedly with a much-rotated XV. Nevertheless, they are not insurmountable opponents without weaknesses. “There are definitely some tweaks in the attack area that we are working on but some of them are just highlighting some focus points within our game that I just don’t think we got right in the last series,” Foster said. With a gameplan predicated on smothering every slightest hint of breathing space, the Springboks are less than ideal opponents for a rickety All Blacks side short of confidence.

The Rugby Championship kicks off this weekend: here's the UK start time, how to watch on TV and confirmed team line-ups.

What TV channel is South Africa v New Zealand on? What time is South Africa v New Zealand kick-off? Lucky it's only the world champions they've going to visit, then.

For coach Ian Foster, Sunday could be the last chance to show he's the right man for the job. The two tests in South Africa have arguably the biggest stakes on ...

Can last year's Rugby Championship holder get back to winning ways against the Springboks? This way for a South Africa vs New Zealand free live stream, ...

Make sure you know how to watch a South Africa vs New Zealand free live stream from wherever you are. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. For the 2022 Rugby Championship, you may wish to choose 'Australia' for Stan Sport. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. Rugby fans in Australia can watch a South Africa vs New Zealand live stream using Stan Sport's 7-day free trial. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free (opens in new tab) 30-day money-back guarantee. Away from Oz? You'll need to use a VPN (opens in new tab) to access your local streaming service without being location-blocked. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. Aussies can watch a free live stream with the Stan Sport 7-day trial – and tune into the game using a VPN (opens in new tab) if travelling abroad. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted. Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 Rugby Championship rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. Having racked up four defeats in five tests – including their first home loss since 1994, against Ireland in Wellington last month – Ian Foster's position looks increasingly under threat.