The four‑match series stands evenly poised at one win each, and the rivalry that has long been billed as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry is now reaching a new level of intensity as South Africa’s head coach Rassie Erasmus and New Zealand’s boss Dave Rennie continue their war of words. To set the scene, the All Blacks opened the tour with a convincing 33‑16 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park.
The Springboks answered back in Cape Town, edging New Zealand 33‑26 in a thrilling encounter that left the series dead‑locked at 1‑1. For the Cape Town match the Springboks originally named a front‑row trio of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw.
However, just an hour before kickoff the lineup was altered, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit taking the starting positions and the initial three relegated to the bench. Erasmus later explained that the change was driven by the anticipated weather – a forecast that predicted rain, prompting a selection of a more robust, moisture‑friendly pack. "We thought it was going to be wet, and that’s why we picked the front row," Erasmus said after the game. "The whole weather prediction for the week was that it would be wet." Rennie, for his part, declined to criticize the South African adjustments.
"We stuck with the team we named and it doesn’t worry me at all," he remarked. "They named their team on Monday. That had no bearing on the team that we named.
So, yeah – no drama from my perspective." Under World Rugby’s standard regulations a medical dispensation is normally required for any changes made within 48 hours of kickoff. Because this particular rivalry is managed independently, however, Erasmus enjoys far greater flexibility to reshuffle his squad at short notice.
In total, Erasmus made five alterations to the squad he announced on Monday for the second Test, including a complete overhaul of the front row. During the week, fly‑half Handre Pollard went from fit to injured and was withdrawn, while winger Cheslin Kolbe recovered from injury and was eventually named on the flank.
Erasmus hinted that he will keep his options open for the third Test in Johannesburg, depending on the conditions. "If it’s clear and dry this will be the team that starts, but if it rains we might make a change or two," he said. While there have been no overt disputes over late selections, a new flashpoint has emerged around the scrum. Rennie accused the Springboks of "walking around" during set‑pieces – a claim that the South Africans are deliberately angling their bind sideways rather than staying square, thereby gaining an illicit advantage and slipping past the All Blacks’ front row.
The New Zealand coach was visibly irritated, stating that he had already fed his concerns back to World Rugby. "The scrums were better tonight. I think the referee, Angus Gardner, was pretty strong around setting a mark and trying to keep hookers in the same sort of space. The Springboks moved across further left and he stopped them," Rennie explained.
"We will give a bit of feedback around that. It is still a bit of an issue for us because they are able to walk around and then go straight through our tighthead." Rennie added that his staff would share a few technical observations with the officials, but he also praised Gardner’s handling of the situation: "There are a couple of little technical things we will share, again, but I thought at the end both teams were able to play off them.
So, I think Angus did a reasonable job there." Erasmus fired back at Rennie's accusations with a blunt retort, dismissing the allegations as nonsense. "We've been playing with this pack together for a long time.
This is the first time in history anyone has talked about us walking around. Why would we suddenly start walking around? I wouldn’t come with that nonsense and say we are walking around and try to put those things out in the media.
If I'm starting to put things out, the last lineout was skew and we contested. I'm not going to moan my a— off about that. If they just want to start moaning about stuff like that, then they are under pressure," Erasmus said.
Is this simply pressure, mind‑games, or something else? Whatever the motivation, the exchange has set the stage for a third Test that promises to be even more dramatic, more heated, and a vivid reminder of why this series has been billed as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry. Fans can catch every moment of New Zealand’s South African tour live on Sky Sports, with kick‑off times listed for the UK and Ireland. The matches are streamed without a contract through the NOW platform, offering a seamless way to follow the unfolding saga of tactical tweaks, verbal sparring, and on‑field fireworks that define this historic contest.