History Says No, but the Boks say "Watch us"

History Says No, but the Boks say "Watch us"

When the All Blacks and Springboks meet the rugby world stops to watch. Few rivalries hold such history passion and consequence. This weekend at Eden Park it is not just another clash between rugby’s two most successful nations, it is a pivotal early marker in the Rugby Championship race.

For New Zealand Eden Park has been a fortress for nearly three decades. The ground represents dominance, a place where opposition sides arrive full of hope and leave with little more than bruises. Yet the Springboks come armed with a very different sense of belief. As reigning world champions they carry the physicality, depth and mentality to turn even the most intimidating arenas into theatres of opportunity.

The stakes could not be clearer. An All Blacks victory would steady their claim as the team to beat in 2025 and keep their aura of invincibility alive. But a defeat on their most sacred ground would echo louder than just the scoreboard. It would not only hand South Africa early momentum in the Championship, it would symbolise a subtle but undeniable shift, a subliminal stamp that New Zealand’s long reign as rugby’s supreme force may finally be loosening.

This Test is about more than points on a ladder. It is about pride, legacy and power. The Haka will be answered by the Springbok stare, the collisions will shake Eden Park and when the dust settles rugby’s global hierarchy might look just a little different.

Test Summary at Eden Park 

  • Total Tests at Eden Park: 10

  • New Zealand wins: 7

  • South Africa wins: 2

  • Draws: 1

All Blacks v Springboks at Eden Park – Results

  • 1921 – South Africa won 9–5 (first Test between the sides at Eden Park)

  • 1937 – South Africa won 17–6 (last Springbok victory at Eden Park)

  • 1956 – New Zealand won 11–5 (secured first ever series win over South Africa)

  • 1965 – New Zealand won 20–3

  • 1981 – New Zealand won 25–22 (famous “flour bomb” Test)

  • 1994 – Draw 18–18 (closest the Boks have come since 1937)

  • 1997 – New Zealand won 55–35

  • 2001 – New Zealand won 26–15

  • 2010 – New Zealand won 32–12

  • 2013 – New Zealand won 29–15

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