Kick-off in Johannesburg is at 5:10pm local time. It is the first of four consecutive Tests between the Springboks and All Blacks over the next month, three in South Africa and one in the United States.
Erasmus is not framing this as a Test window. He is framing it as a tournament.
“This series is almost like playing the knockout stages of a World Cup because we are facing one of the world’s best week in and week out,” the Springbok head coach said after the Boks’ 17-10 win over Argentina in the buildup.
Rennie’s tourists arrive with a warning
New Zealand have not lost in South Africa this month. Dave Rennie’s side put 38 on the Stormers in Cape Town, 54 on the Sharks in Durban without conceding, and then dismantled the Vodacom Bulls 50-19 at Loftus Versfeld last Saturday, according to the All Blacks match report.
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Josh Moorby, Codie Taylor and Leroy Carter each scored twice at Loftus. Rieko Ioane and Wallace Sititi added the others. Halftime read 24-0.
Rennie played down the margin.
“The intensity level, the quality that we’re going to come up against next week is three, four, five-fold,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“We’ve played reasonably well on tour, and we know we need to up the ante.”
Springboks 9, All Blacks 6 at Ellis Park
Ellis Park has been the Springboks’ ground more than New Zealand’s since South Africa’s readmission. The Boks have won nine of the 15 Tests between the two sides staged there, and lead the points column 352-328, per a Planet Rugby stats review.
Erasmus will only name his team on Thursday, later than his usual midweek slot, with Siya Kolisi’s fitness for the opener uncertain. Pieter-Steph du Toit is in line to captain if the flanker does not make it, and Damian de Allende is closing in on his 100th cap.
First full tour in 30 years
The second Test moves to Cape Town Stadium on 29 August, the third to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 5 September, and the fourth breaks new ground: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on 12 September, taking the fixture to the United States for a 70,000-seat finale, as set out on the tour’s official page.
For the All Blacks, it is a first full tour of South Africa in 30 years.
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