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

For those wondering why we aren’t at Eden Park today, the All Blacks’ regular Auckland haunt is getting ready for the Fifa Women’s World Cup, held across Australia and New Zealand from 20 July. The country’s national stadium will host the first semi-final on 15 August.

That necessitates a shift to the suburbs and Mount Smart Stadium, more regularly home to New Zealand’s rugby league side, though utilised by Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby Pacific over the last couple of years. The All Blacks first game here was against Tonga in 2021, a 102-0 drubbing against an Ikale Tahi team without many of their better players. You somehow doubt today’s scoreline will be similar.

This is the only Rugby Championship encounter between these two this summer but there’s another meeting in the diary, with a rather World Cup warm-up scheduled in on 25 August at Twickenham. It is understood that tickets are selling rather well for the match under the Friday night lights on a weekend that also sees England face Fiji in their World Cup send-off.

New Zealand also have an extra trans-Tasman tussle pencilled in, while South Africa head to Buenos Aires to take on Argentina in early August before a trip to Cardiff later in the month.

Bereaved South Africa captain Eben Etzebeth has decided to play for the Springboks in their Rugby Championship fixture against old foe New Zealand in Auckland today.

Lock Etzebeth lost his father Harry to cancer on Tuesday, after he had been selected to lead the side against the All Blacks. It was left up to the 31-year-old whether he wants to play, and he has chosen to line up in what could be the Rugby Championship decider in a shortened competition this year to accommodate the Rugby World Cup in France.

Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and hooker Bongi Mbonambi took over media duties on Friday at the Boks’ traditional captain’s press conference.

“Eben’s loss, which is also our loss because we are a family, is very sad. We are with him. If there is one thing about us as a team, we are there for each other,” Stick told reporters.

“Eben has made the choice to play. I would like to think he is doing it for his dad. But it is a big loss for us as a team to lose a parent.”

The Boks have not been victorious in Auckland since 1937, but South Africa have won two of their last three matches against the All Blacks, and claimed a win and a draw in their previous two visits to New Zealand, with both matches staged in Wellington.

“We have spoken about playing the All Blacks away from home and how special it is to win,” Stick said. “The majority of us were there in 2018 when we won in Wellington. We all live for that, to come to New Zealand and play the All Blacks.

“To beat them you have to stand against them physically, but also match the high tempo game they always bring.”

Reporting by Reuters

After a largely second string scythed through Australia last week, back come the big guns as the Springboks go full strength for this likely title decider. Eben Etzebeth sadly lost his father this week but the lock is ready to lead his side in Auckland, partnering Lood de Jager in the second row. Franco Mostert takes over from the similarly long limbed Pieter-Steph du Toit on the blindside, while Jasper Wiese will cause plenty of damage from number eight.

Damian Willemse steps in instead of Manie Libbok, who did his reputation no harm against the Wallabies, at fly-half – with Handre Pollard absent, Willemse is the only new face in a backline otherwise identical to the one that won the World Cup in 2019. The six forwards in reserve on the bench are pretty terrifying, too.

South Africa XV: Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth (capt.), Lood de Jager; Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese; Faf de Klerk, Damian Willemse; Makazole Mapimpi, Damian de Allende, Lukhanyo Am, Cheslin Kolbe; Willie le Roux.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen; Grant Williams, Manie Libbok.

Damian McKenzie was impressive against Argentina but it was never likely to be enough to earn the Chiefs playmaker an extended run in the starting side. Richie Mo’unga returns to take over fly-half duties, with Beauden Barrett continuing at full back. Will Jordan, who will surely occupy that 15 shirt in time, starts on one wing with the slippery Mark Telea, who would have qualified for South Africa, injecting plenty of threat on the other.

Up front, Brodie Retallick is back to strengthen the tight five, while loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams – pronounced ta-mighty - is primed for a debut from the bench, and will become the heaviest ever All Black.

New Zealand XV: Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (capt.), Ardie Savea; Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga; Mark Telea, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Will Jordan; Beauden Barrett.

Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Nepo Laulala, Tupou Vaa’i, Dalton Papali’i; Finlay Christie, Braydon Ennor, Caleb Clarke.

New Zealand hooker Cody Taylor has outlined what he thinks it takes to beat the Springboks.

“Right across the board they play bloody good footy, and they’re big men. There’s no better challenge as an All Black to go against the South African forward pack,” Taylor told Stuff media.

“Mentally you’ve got to get yourself into a pretty dark place to be ready for what’s coming. At the same time, we’ve made good progress in our forward pack over the last 18 months and we’re going to fire a few shots, too.

“I think this week will be a real tell for us as a team, and especially as a forward pack. They’ve probably got one of the most formidable packs in the world in terms of size and ability and the way they play the game.

“What a challenge at home. We played them twice over there last year, and now we get to play them here before what’s going to be a big World Cup.”

New Zealand and South Africa square off in Auckland in a game that could well decide the destination of this year’s shortened Rugby Championship and set the tone for the upcoming World Cup.

Both sides secured convincing victories in their opening Rugby Championship clashes, as the All Blacks demolished Argentina 41-12 away from home and the Springboks obliterated Eddie Jones’s Australia 43-12 on home turf. With only one more round of games following this weekend’s action, the winner here is odds-on to lift the trophy.

There is also the prospect of a potential quarter-final clash between the sides at the World Cup in France this autumn hanging over the contest and both teams will be keen to lay down a marker. The All Blacks are perhaps marginal favourites due to home advantage, especially with South Africa not having won in Auckland since 1937, but the Springboks have claimed victory in two of the last three fixtures between the sides, while their previous two visits to New Zealand ended in a win and a draw.

Eben Etzebeth sadly lost his father, Harry, to cancer this week but the hulking second-rower has decided to play in the match and captains the Springboks, undoubtedly keen to do his late dad proud.

Here’s everything you need to know about the match at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland:

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Rugby Championship as New Zealand host South Africa in round two. The winner is likely to go on and lift the trophy, given the shortened nature of this year’s tournament.