Three Head-to-Head Battles to Watch: Springboks vs All Blacks

The All Blacks face South Africa in the second Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour. New Zealand are on a perfect run, having beaten the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Springboks in their first Test, before going on to beat the Lions in a tight affair on Tuesday evening. They now make their way to Cape Town to face the Springboks in a rematch of last weekend’s clash.

Both teams have named similar line-ups to the first Test, with Rassie Erasmus and Dave Rennie making just three changes each.

Here are three head-to-head battles to look out for.

Ox Nche v George Bower

The powerful Nche will make his special 50th appearance this weekend and will look to continue doing what he does best in the scrums.

Bower, who made an impact off the bench last week, comes in for Ethan de Groot, who is still undergoing HIA protocols. He will look to make a big difference in an All Blacks scrum that came under pressure in the last game.

Jasper Wiese v Ardie Savea

Both number eights had a massive game last Saturday, and their battle will continue this weekend.

Wiese made 14 carries, beat four defenders and gained 62 metres last week, while Savea made eight carries, 10 tackles, won one turnover and assisted one try.

Ethan Hooker v Will Jordan

The 10-cap Hooker will face the 58-cap Jordan, who has scored 53 tries and is currently in excellent form.

This battle could prove crucial, with Hooker looking to make an impact against one of the most dangerous finishers in the All Blacks backline.

With so much experience and talent on both sides, these individual battles could play a major role in deciding the outcome. The Springboks and All Blacks will meet on Saturday, 29 August, at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, with kick-off at 17:10 (SAST), as South Africa look to level the series and New Zealand aim to take a 2-0 lead.