New Zealand vs South Africa LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as All Blacks beat Springboks

Aaron Smith leads the Haka, Sam Cane at the front of the line, flanked by Codie Taylor and Rieko Ioane, widening the pupils and slapping at limbs. South Africa stand together, staring their opponents down with no tomfoolery. It’s go time in Auckland.

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra) ARs: Angus Gardner (Aus) & Pierre Brousset (Fra) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)

It’s damp and cool in Auckland, but the skies are dry for kick off and a capacity crowd are warming to their task.

A fair few South African fans in, making themselves heard with fists clasped across their hearts as they sing the anthem. Eben Etzebeth looks to the heavens after an incredibly difficult week, emotion in his eyes. He and his side look ready.

The New Zealand flag waves in the breeze as the All Blacks warble their anthem.

Fireworks and a rather funky light show to welcome the players on to the Mount Start Stadium pitch. Plenty more to come this summer before these two head to France, but this feels like a day where a World Cup statement can be made.

One of the particularly striking things from South Africa’s win last weekend was their willingness to play from deep, preying on an Australian defence playing for the first time under Brett Hodgson and all too readily giving up room in spaces open and tight. Can the Springboks go stotting again? I think a return to more of a kick pressure game will be favoured, but they’ve again got the wide weapons to cause the All Blacks problems.

Kevin Sinfield, England’s defence coach, referred to South Africa’s depth as “unbelievable” in Verona this week having noted the particular strength of the Springboks bench today. While Sinfield went on to explain that, ultimately, any side can only have 15 players on the pitch at a time, it does feel like the visitors have the players to make a real difference in the final quarter, particularly up front. That power packed sextet of forwards is really quite something - all of RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen looked back to full test intensity last week, and one wonders what damage they might be able to inflict if required a little later.

It has been a while since New Zealand had two nailed-on centre starters, the All Blacks never quite finding a partnership to rival the beautifully balanced Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, so influential in the 2015 World Cup win. Now, though, it would seem as if Ian Foster has settled on a preferred pairing, and in Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane, the head coach has two supreme talents who are really starting to coalesce.

Barrett was a 12 at under-20 level but took his early senior strides at full back. While he was hardly out of place patrolling the backfield, I do think inside centre is his long-term home, his playmaking skills complementing his obvious physical gifts.

Of course, Ioane started in the back three, too, but has really blossomed into a top class 13, an evolution that should prolong his career beyond many of New Zealand’s wing wizards who have run aground as new talents emerge. His pure pace is ever a threat on the outside arc but Ioane shows such intelligence in the way he carries. This feels an important challenge for the pair, with Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am’s own combination so well grooved.

It was finals day down for the Under-20s in South Africa, the ever entertaining look at the stars of tomorrow reaching a denouement. The final itself saw France’s latest brilliant batch produce one of the best age-group performances I can recall, running amok in the second half against a very good Ireland side to secure a third consecutive U20s crown as the tournament returned for the first time since 2019.

To frighten their rivals, much of the French side are a year young, too, and could conceivably be back in 2024. Plenty of their squad look like they may well have senior international futures, but scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau is already in the starting mix at Clermont Auvergne, and enormous second row Posolo Tuilagi (yes, those Tuilagis) looks similarly high on potential. Talismanic number eight Marko Gazzotti was named player of the tournament.

It was a surprisingly busy Friday of rugby elsewhere yesterday, with notable action in Canada and South Africa as the women’s Pacific Four and men’s Under-20 World Championship. Let’s start in Ottawa, where the third and final round of the PAC4 nearly provided a major shock, the world champion Black Ferns surviving a real scare against the USA after an early red card.

New Zealand’s bench made the difference, classy playmaker Ruahei Demant sparking a turnaround as 34 unanswered second half points sealed a 39-17 win and another title for the Black Ferns. In the day’s other fixture, Canada thrashed the Wallaroos to take second spot on the ladder - New Zealand, Canada and Australia progress through to the top tier of the inaugural edition of WXV, World Rugby’s new tiered competition launching in the autumn, where they will take on England, France and Wales. The USA, meanwhile, will take on Japan, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa and either Italy or Spain in WXV2.

Rugby Championship fixtures 2023

• Round 1: South Africa 43-12 Australia
• Round 1: Argentina 12-41 New Zealand
• Round 2: New Zealand vs South Africa - Saturday, July 15 - 8.05am, Sky Sports Action (BST)
• Round 2: Australia vs Argentina - Saturday, July 15 - 10.45am, Sky Sports Action (BST)
• Round 3: Australia vs New Zealand - Saturday, July 29 - 10.45am, Sky Sports Action (BST)
• Round 3: South Africa vs Argentina - Saturday, July 29 - 4.05pm, Sky Sports Action (BST)