New Zealand vs South Africa live: Latest score and updates as Springboks seek revenge on All Blacks in Rugby Championship – UK Times

South Africa’s goal always is to win test matches, but despite the bitter feeling of defeat in Saturday’s crunch clash with New Zealand at Eden Park, coach Rassie Erasmus is still determined to broaden his player base ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The Springboks have won the last two global finals in 2019 and 2023, and those successes were built in large part on squad depth.

Performances this year have been largely underwhelming, and on Saturday in Auckland when they lost 24-17, they were their own worst enemies with an error-strewn display.

Erasmus has made seven personnel changes and two positional switches for the second clash with the All Blacks in Wellington this coming weekend.

He said these were not only in reaction to that disappointing showing, but also with the bigger picture in mind.

“It would have been paradise if we’d won last weekend and still made the changes we planned,” Erasmus told reporters on Monday.

“Not many players get the chance to face New Zealand away. After this game, the only other opportunity will be after the (2027) World Cup, so the idea was to win and also expose some guys to the pressure of facing the team currently ranked number one in the world.”

Is this some Rugby Championship or what? Argentina and Australia have just served up another stone-cold thriller in Sydney, the Wallabies roaring back in the final 20 minutes after the Pumas had seemingly disappeared out of sight – but Felipe Contepomi’s side just about clung on 28-26. It means a Springboks win today with the All Blacks failing to get a bonus point would leave all four teams on 10 or nine competition points – what an edition this is proving.

South Africa make a number of changes to the side beaten in Auckland, in part due to pre-planned rotation to build depth and in part as a reaction to that result. Jasper Wiese’s return from suspension at No 8 allows Siya Kolisi to move back to the flank, while Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortje form the second row partnership with Eben Etzebeth not in the squad.

The backline has an ultra-attacking look, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse forming a creative 10/12 axis, Canan Moodie moving into midfield and Aphelele Fassi returning in the place of veteran Willie le Roux at full-back. Ethan Hooker is a relatively new face on the wing – he makes his first Test start.

South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Thomas du Toit;, 4 Lood de Jager, 5 Ruan Nortje; 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese; 9 Cobus Reinach, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; 11 Ethan Hooker, 12 Damian Willemse, 13 Canan Moodie, 14 Cheslin Kolbe; 15 Aphelele Fassi.

Replacements: 16. Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.

New Zealand hand a debut to wing Leroy Carter, a stalwart of the All Blacks Sevens programme who featured at Paris 2024 last year. After coming on early for Emoni Narawa last weekend, Damian McKenzie is installed in the starting side at full-back with a relocated Will Jordan completing the back three.

Noah Hotham returns to start at scrum half while hooker Codie Taylor is ruled out through concussion as Samisoni Taukei’aho takes over in the front row.

New Zealand XV: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3 Tyrel Lomax; 4 Scott Barrett (capt.), 5 Tupou Vaa’i; 6 Simon Parker, 7 Ardie Savea, 8 Wallace Sititi; 9 Noah Hotham, 10 Beauden Barrett; 11 Leroy Carter, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Billy Proctor, 14 Will Jordan; 15 Damian McKenzie.

Replacements: 16 Brodie McAllister, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Du’Plessis Kirifi; 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Ruben Love.

There’s plenty to dig into in the two sides named this week. Let’s take a closer look at those two sides…

This is just the first of two meetings between New Zealand and South Africa on the rugby field today, a meeting of the nations’s two women’s sides adding extra meaning to the rivalry later. The Springboks and All Blacks are preparing, though, to become even more acquainted with one another.

Rassie Erasmus likes to rotate his side anyway, but there was always likely to be a reaction to South Africa’s defeat in Auckland – and the Springboks head coach has most certainly wielded the axe…

South Africa must be more clinical in the New Zealand 22 and take their chances if they are to keep their Rugby Championship title hopes alive in Wellington on Saturday, according to captain Siya Kolisi.

The world champion Springboks put in an error-strewn performance in their 24-17 defeat to New Zealand in Auckland last weekend, but created enough opportunities to have got more out of the game.

Kolisi pulled no punches, saying the video review of the game was a tough watch, but backed his team to improve and maintain their title defence in this year’s competition.

“We created 13 opportunities in their 22 and took two of them,” Kolisi told reporters on Friday. “We saw how we stuffed it up, a lot of it was our own doing. That was the difficult part in that game.

“It was frustrating watching it after. It was individual errors, one after the other. Hopefully we can fix it this weekend and when we get opportunities, we take them.

“They (New Zealand) didn’t get a lot, but the ones they had, they took them.”

We’ll begin the build-up to today’s proceedings in a moment, but first a look back at last week, and a humdinger of a clash in Auckland – with the All Blacks holding firm to hold on for a remarkable 51st match without defeat at Eden Park.

New Zealand and South Africa renew hostilities as the two great Rugby Championship rivals meet in the second of back-to-back encounters. A hard-fought affair in Auckland ended with the All Blacks’ Eden Park unbeaten streak intact last weekend – can the Springboks hit back to restore their hopes of defending their title?

Kick off in Wellington is at 8.05am BST.