All Blacks and Springboks meet in most storied rivalry in Rugby World Cup final
Over the course of 105 Test matches since their first meeting at Carisbrooke's House of Pain in Dunedin in 1921, these two of rugby's most recognizable rivals have battled on and off the field, creating some of the most iconic moments in the sport. Rugby World Cup fans worldwide are called to book RWC 2023 tickets from our online platform eticketing.co Rugby fans can book Rugby World Cup Final Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
New Zealand won that first game 13-5 and have a much better record overall, leading head-to-head 62-39 with four draws. But numbers can tell you a lot. If you want a clear picture of who the All Blacks consider their biggest rivals, look no further than 2005.
When New Zealand wanted to debut a new haka, the non-touring British and Irish Lions were the first to be subjected to kapa o pango - despite the size of the once-every-12-years tour. No. It was a match against the Springboks at Carisbrook, the place where the two teams met for the first time, with Tana Umaga leading the team in a frightening performance of the first new hack performed by the All Blacks since 1905.
Standing there and watching it for the first time was a privilege, recalled Springbok captain John Smith in Andy Birt and Jamie Wall's Facing the Haka. One of the most iconic moments between the two teams occurred the last time they met in the Rugby World Cup final - the first time, incidentally, in South Africa in 1995.
A Celebration of Unity
It was a Springboks release party. It was also a release party for Rainbow Nation. Decades of sporting and political isolation culminated in perfect sporting glory: Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar gathered together in the middle of Ellis Park, arms aloft with the Webb Ellis Cup raised like a golden icon pointing to a brighter future.
A decade and a half ago, scenes of such interracial harmony would have been unimaginable. South Africa's racial segregation policies made any tour from the late 1940s to the 1970s extremely controversial, with New Zealand authorities bowing to pressure not to select Maori players for the tour of South Africa.
New Zealand were one of the first international teams to cancel their tour of South Africa in 1967, although the New Zealand Rugby Union opposed political intervention. The All Blacks toured in 1970, but only because the Maori players among the tourists were given the disgusting status of honorary whites by the ruling National Party.
The late Australian international Lloyd McDermott, one of the first indigenous Wallabies, famously decided not to tour South Africa in 1963 under the same conditions. The Springboks were due to tour in 1973, but the New Zealand government withdrew support for the tour, despite widespread public support for the upcoming matches, due to the potential for the greatest outbreak of violence this country has ever known, Prime was told. Minister Norman Kirk near the police.
New Zealand did visit South Africa in 1976, to widespread condemnation. Black African nations so outraged that many boycotted the Montreal Olympics that year, and as a result of protests in 1977, Commonwealth countries unanimously passed the Gleneagles Agreement to discourage sporting contact between the world and South Africa.
Politics vs. Sport: The 1981 Springbok Tour Controversy
Despite this, New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon refused to ban the upcoming 1981 tour on the grounds that politics should not interfere with sport. The frustration and misery of continuing touring came to a head during the infamous 1981 Rebel Tour.
Mass protests led to the cancellation of two tour matches - in Hamilton against Waikato and Timaru against South Canterbury - and the third Test in Auckland was disrupted by a low-flying Cessna plane dropping flour bombs on the playing field. Rugby fans can book Rugby World Cup Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
The Springboks subsequently continued their US tour and protests followed. Apart from that landmark 1995 final, New Zealand and South Africa have met five times at the Rugby World Cup. The South Africans won the first two meetings, including a 22-18 win in the much-maligned third-place play-off in 1999, but it has been an All Black game since then.
A crushing 29-9 quarter-final win at Docklands in 2003, a 20-18 victory over Twickenham in the 2015 semi-final and a 23-13 win in the group stages of the 2019 tournament in Yokohama are the Springboks' only title defeat. . winning tournament.
It doesn't get any bigger. It's huge, All Blacks defense coach Scott McLeod said this week. I remember touring there many years ago and amazed by the passion of the people. They were very competitive and in your face, but once the whistle blew they were some of the best people to hang out with, have a barbecue with and have a beer with.
"That respect has never gone away and I doubt it ever will between the All Blacks and the South Africans and that's what we hold dear."
Rugby World Cup Final - A Historic Rivalry Passed Down Through Generations
Springboks assistant Deon Davis also reflected on the shared history of the two teams. As kids we grew up listening to fights between the All Blacks and South Africa on the radio, hearing the stories of heroes from both teams over the years, he said.
It's part of our rugby history, the Springboks and the All Blacks, and every time we play each other it's always a special battle and I don't think this one will be any different. Both teams are also looking to make new history.
New Zealand are the only team to have won back-to-back Rugby World Cups and the Springboks are hoping to repeat that feat this week. Both teams are equally gunning for a record fourth Rugby World Cup crown. Recent history shows that neither side has a clear advantage: in the last 10 meetings, New Zealand have won five, South Africa four and drawn 16-16.
Learning from the Past, Focused on the Future
But the most recent of those games, a 35-7 thrashing at Twickenham ahead of the Rugby World Cup, may give South Africa the edge. Our battles with the All Blacks, there's a lot of history between us. We've played them a couple of times this year, but going into the World Cup final, I don't think any of those previous meetings will matter, Davis said.
It will be a completely different game. Both teams have learned a lot of lessons [since the last game they played]. New Zealand plays excellent rugby. Let's see where we can outsmart each other. This will be a new game in new circumstances, a fight for the main prize of world rugby. If you look back too far and don't grasp the moment, we'll deceive ourselves.
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