One of the biggest rugby matches of 2025 will take place this Saturday, as New Zealand take on South Africa in the third round of the Rugby Championship. These two titans of the Test match stage have one victory each so far in the competition, with this year’s tournament wide open for the taking alongside their fellow competitors Australia and Argentina.
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The All Blacks put their iconic Eden Park unbeaten run on the line this weekend, as New Zealand have gone 50 consecutive Tests without tasting defeat in their Auckland home. It was against South Africa that the streak was first born, with the 18-18 draw back in 1994 sparking the fire that has since burned for 31 unbeaten years. In this article, we will have a look at the 10 greatest on-field showdowns between the All Blacks and Springboks, from their decorated 104 history as age-old rivals.
From Rugby World Cup Finals to the old Tri Nations Championship, this rivalry has spanned a century and has no end in sight. New Zealand and South Africa will take their rivalry to a new level next year, as the two rugby juggernauts have opted out of the 2026 Rugby Championship in favour of an All Blacks tour across the land of the Springboks next Summer. New Zealand recently surpassed South Africa to take the title of being the World’s Number One ranked side, and with two star-studded squads, we are set for a cracking battle this Saturday.
TOP 10 GREATEST NEW ZEALAND VS SOUTH AFRICA MATCHES OF ALL TIME
1. The First Meeting – The Start of a Century-Long Rivalry
New Zealand 13 – 5 South Africa – 1921 South Africa Tour of New Zealand and Australia
13th August 1921 – Carisbrook, Dunedin
In 1921, Carisbrook hosted a moment destined to echo through rugby history: the very first Test between New Zealand and South Africa. The All Blacks prevailed 13–5, but the contest was about far more than the scoreline. George Belliss ignited the crowd with a try, while the boot of Mark Nicholls gave the hosts a crucial edge. The Springboks, powered by the formidable Morkel brothers, refused to yield easily. Jan van Heerden’s try reminding the locals that this new rivalry would never be one-sided.
In an era defined by gruelling tours and hard travel, the spectacle still captured the essence of Test rugby: ferocious tackling, contested scrums, and nerves tested in front of a raucous Dunedin crowd. This was the day New Zealand and South Africa’s century-long tug of war was born, two nations bound together by respect, conflict, and rugby supremacy.
2. The Birth of the Eden Park Unbeaten Streak
New Zealand 18 – 18 South Africa – 1994 South Africa Tour of New Zealand
6th August 1994 – Eden Park, Auckland
When South Africa returned to international rugby after the end of apartheid, the rugby world waited to see how they’d fare against the mighty All Blacks. After an 11-year absence from the Test stage, South Africa steadily regained their footing with consistent fixtures. This culminated two years after their 1992 return, as on a crisp August afternoon at Eden Park, the Springboks came agonisingly close to snatching victory over New Zealand. The Springboks led 18–12 as the clock ticked down, with fly-half Joel Stransky guiding masterfully in green and gold.
Yet the All Blacks, desperate not to fall on their own turf, clawed back to level the scores. The final whistle blew with the scoreboard locked at 18–18, for a stalemate that carried weight beyond numbers. It wasn’t just a dramatic finish, this match marked the beginning of New Zealand’s extraordinary unbeaten run at Eden Park, a fortress that has stood ever since some 50 Tests and 31 years later. For South Africa, the draw was bittersweet, yet proof they could still match the All Blacks blow for blow.
3. The Immortalised Clash in Johannesburg – A Moment in Time
South Africa 15 – 12 New Zealand – 1995 Rugby World Cup Final
24th June 1995 – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Few occassions in sporting history transcend the field upon which it is played; this match certainly did that. Five years after the fall of apartheid, a new, united South Africa met the All Blacks in a Rugby World Cup final heavy with symbolism. It wasn’t a game of flowing rugby, but one of attrition, nerves, and relentless defence. Joel Stransky’s drop goal in extra time sealed a 15–12 triumph, crowning the Boks champions in front of Nelson Mandela, who famously wore Francois Pienaar’s number six jersey.
The image of Mandela handing Pienaar the Webb Ellis Cup instantly became iconic, a symbol of unity and prosperity in a newly democratic nation. For New Zealand, Jonah Lomu’s rampaging run through the tournament ended in heartbreak, as the Greatest of All Time was denied a RWC winners medal by a Bok pack that simply refused to break. This was rugby written into the very soul of a country.
4. Springboks and All Blacks go end-to-end in all-time highest scoring clash
South Africa 46 – 40 New Zealand – 2000 Tri Nations Series
19th August 2000 – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Ellis Park has witnessed its share of epics, but few as breathless as this. South Africa and New Zealand tore into each other with a reckless abandon rarely seen at Test level. Nine tries flew in, as if the rugby gods demanded a festival of attacking brilliance. The All Blacks crossed first through Christian Cullen, but every score was answered in kind by the Boks, driven on by the roar of a Johannesburg crowd.
By the final whistle, the Springboks had edged it 46–40, recording the highest aggregate score in their storied rivalry between the two nations. This was far from a classic Springbok-Kiwi clash of grind and muscle, but a match that showcased daring ambition, with each side throwing everything forward at their age-old conter-parts. For purists, it was chaos; for fans, sheer exhilaration. The 2000 Ellis Park Test still stands as one of the great international rugby spectacles, in a reminder that even in the fiercest rivalries, joy and chaos can coexist.
5. Relentless All Blacks dump Springboks out of 2003 Rugby World Cup
New Zealand 29 – 9 South Africa – 2003 Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final
8th November 2003 – Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
By 2003, the All Blacks were building towards a new era under head coach John Mitchell, and their Rugby World Cup quarter-final showdown with South Africa felt like a defining moment. In Melbourne, New Zealand did more than just beat the Boks; they dismantled them in front of disgruntled Australian neutrals that were baying for an early All Blacks exit.
Carlos Spencer orchestrated proceedings with his customary wizardry, his audacious running game carving open the green-and-gold defence time and again. Joe Rokocoko finished two tries, cementing his reputation as rugby’s next great winger. For South Africa, it was a sobering night. Unable to breach the black wall, they were restricted to penalties, their attack blunted, their spirit worn down.
The 29–9 scoreline flattered them in truth, New Zealand’s dominance was complete. This quarter-final was remembered less for its drama and more for its ruthlessness: a statement that, when the All Blacks hit stride, few teams could live with their relentless pace and precision.
6. Unforgettable Nine-Try Classic decides the 2013 RC Title
South Africa 27 – 38 New Zealand – 2013 Rugby Championship
5th October 2013 – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Ellis Park is never quiet, but on this night it shook like a drum. Both sides knew the Rugby Championship crown would be decided here, with the men in black and green and gold throwing their collection caution to the wind. Tries poured in, nine in total, as speed and skill met unrelenting intensity. For the Springboks, Bryan Habana showcased his Cheetah-racing pace with two sparkling scores, reminding everyone his heroics from the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Yet the All Blacks, orchestrated by peerless back-row leaders Kieran Read and Richie McCaw, found another gear. Dan Carter’s mesmeric control and Ben Smith’s enigmatic running lines proved decisive, as a baby-faced Beauden Barrett announced himself on the world stage with a late, clinical finish. New Zealand’s 38–27 win sealed the title in what many call the most entertaining Test of the modern era. It was rugby played at pace and at the edge of possibility, a blur of colour and chaos that no one could forget.
7. All Blacks triumph over Springboks on the road to World Championship crown
South Africa 18 – 20 New Zealand – 2015 Rugby World Cup Semi-Final
24th October 2015 – Twickenham Stadium, London
The rain fell heavy upon South West London, but nothing could dampen the magnitude of this semi-final. South Africa leaned on their traditional strengths: a thunderous pack, immovable mauls, and the metronomic boot of Handré Pollard to keep the points ticking over. South Africa nudged their way to an 18–17 lead with just minutes remaining, and it seemed the Boks’ iron discipline might prevail.
But New Zealand, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles following in a golden era of star-power, would not be denied. Beauden Barrett’s converted try had earlier kept them in touching distance, and then came the defining moment of the match. Dan Carter, with nerves of ice, slotted a drop goal from distance, to top up the scoreboard to read 20–18 and until the final whistle.
This was a game of the fine margins, one of survival for Steve Hansen’s All Blacks. For New Zealand it was the springboard to glory, as they went on to hammer the Wallabies in the 2015 RWC Final. For South Africa, it was a lesson in tournament heartbreak in which they had so rarely been on the receiving end of. So near, yet so far for the men in green and gold.
8. All Blacks hammer Springboks for their all-time biggest victory
New Zealand 57 – 0 South Africa – 2017 Rugby Championship
16th September 2017 – North Harbour Stadium, Albany
The incredible rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa usually produce tight contests, but not this time. On a cold night in Albany, the All Blacks produced a demolition so complete it stunned even their own supporters. South Africa, proud and resolute, were left shell-shocked as wave after wave of black shirts poured across their try-line.
Rieko Ioane was electric, Nehe Milner-Skudder danced in space, and the New Zealand forwards bullied the Springbok pack into submission. By half-time the result was beyond doubt; by full-time, the scoreboard showed a scarcely believable 57–0. Never before had South Africa been beaten so brutally, in scoreline or spirit. For the All Blacks, it was a performance of dazzling pace and ruthless precision, the kind that underlines why they are feared across the world. For the Springboks, it was a scar that lingered, a night when their great rivalry gave them nothing but pain.
9. Springboks end the All Blacks’ 3-year reign over Rugby Championship
New Zealand 34 – 36 South Africa – 2018 Rugby Championship
15th September 2018 – Westpac Stadium, Wellington
It was the kind of Test that flips the script. The All Blacks, unbeaten in the Rugby Championship for three years, expected another home victory and a fourth consecutive title. Instead, Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks delivered a statement that shook Wellington to its core.
South Africa struck with boldness: Aphiwe Dyantyi and Willie le Roux turned scraps into tries, while Malcolm Marx’s ferocity at the breakdown gave the Springboks an edge up front. New Zealand, inevitably, came roaring back, Rieko Ioane’s brace of tries kept the black jerseys in the crowd believing. However, Handré Pollard’s boot and heroic late defence sealed an improbable 36–34 win.
The final whistle saw Springbok players collapse to their knees, drained but triumphant. This was a watershed moment for South Africa, proof that they could still humble their fiercest rivals on their own patch. New Zealand were shaken by a rare moment of silence at home. A reminder of the fragility even of dynasties, and what many considered to be the start of Wellington’s ‘Capital City Curse’ for the All Blacks.
Honurable Mention: An Off-the-Scale Twickenham Earthquake
South Africa 35–7 New Zealand – 2023 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up
25th August 2023 – Twickenham Stadium, London
It may have been billed as a warm-up, but this was no friendly. Under the lights at Twickenham, the Springboks unleashed a performance so ferocious it stunned the rugby world, and marked their intentions to go ‘Bokke-to-Bokke’ as defending World Champions.
New Zealand, usually imperious, were dismantled from the opening whistle. The Springbok pack mauled at will, with Kurt-Lee Arendse lighting up the scoreboard with arching runs along the wing. Siya Kolisi’s men roared to a record-breaking 35–7 win, to hand New Zealand their heaviest ever defeat in All Blacks history. South Africa proved their depth and primed the ‘bomb squad’ ahead of the World Cup. New Zealand were humiliated, with an almighty wake-up call that would sharpen their resolve.
Just weeks later, these two would meet again in Paris, but this bruising Twickenham clash remained a reminder, even in matches with no stakes of trophies on the line, the Springboks and All Blacks treat every collision as war.
10. South Africa win ‘Bokke-to-Bokke’ World Titles
New Zealand 11 – 12 South Africa – 2023 Rugby World Cup Final
28th October 2023 – Stade de France, Paris,
On a Parisian night dripping with tension, the Rugby World Cup’s fiercest rivalry delivered another classic. South Africa, defending champions, were chasing history; New Zealand, down to 14 men after captain Sam Cane brought about the first red card in RWC Final history, fought on with desperate bravery.
Cheslin Kolbe’s electric runs, Siya Kolisi’s leadership, and a brutal Springbok pack set the platform. Handré Pollard, recalled midway through the tournament, was immaculate from the tee, kicking all 12 points that would prove enough on the night. The All Blacks scored through Beauden Barrett and pressed late into the night, but South Africa’s defence, stubborn, defiant and unbreakable, carried them to a one-point win.
It was their fourth world crown, confirming the Springboks as the most successful nation in Rugby World Cup history to build upon their 2019 triumph over England some four years prior. For New Zealand, heartbreak, for South Africa, immortality. The rivalry had once again decided the sport’s biggest prize, leaving scars and legends in equal measure in black and green.
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