Springbok great Victor Matfield has delivered a huge endorsement of the current South African side, declaring that the team could be the greatest the country has ever produced.
The former World Cup-winning lock believes the Springboks’ remarkable recent record has placed them in a class of their own, but the strength of that claim will face another major test when South Africa begins a four-match series against New Zealand.
Greatest Rivalry Takes Centre Stage
The Springboks and All Blacks will renew one of rugby’s most celebrated rivalries across four consecutive weekends.
The opening Test will take place at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, followed by a match at Cape Town Stadium.
The third encounter will return to Johannesburg at FNB Stadium before the series concludes in Baltimore in the United States.
The scale of the contest is reflected in the records of the two nations.
South Africa have won the last two Rugby World Cups, while New Zealand claimed the two tournaments before that.
Together, the traditional rivals have won seven of the 10 global titles.
Springboks Enter With Recent Dominance
South Africa’s recent success extends beyond the World Cup.
The Springboks have also won the last two editions of the Rugby Championship, while New Zealand dominated the competition for much of the period before that, winning nine of the previous 11 editions.
Their head-to-head history is equally formidable.
Since their first Test in Dunedin in 1921, the teams have met 110 times, with New Zealand winning 63 matches, South Africa 43 and four ending in draws.
Matfield Praises South Africa’s Winning Mentality
Matfield knows what it takes to beat the All Blacks, having helped South Africa win the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
During his playing career, he also formed a highly respected second-row partnership with the hard-hitting Bakkies Botha.
Now working as a television analyst and podcaster, the 49-year-old believes one of South Africa’s greatest strengths is the ability to win even when the performance is far from perfect.
“The Springboks always find a way to win,” Matfield said.
He pointed to South Africa’s recent 17-10 victory over Argentina as an example.
Although the Springboks made numerous mistakes and failed to produce their best rugby, they still came away with the result.
Erasmus Makes Major Selection Changes
The Springbok team facing New Zealand contains only two players who started that Argentina match.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu retains his place, while veteran lock Eben Etzebeth also starts.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that selecting his preferred flyhalf was particularly difficult because of the competition between Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu ultimately won the battle, with Erasmus pointing to his previous success against New Zealand.
Libbok has been named among the replacements, while two-time World Cup winner Pollard misses out on the matchday squad.
Du Toit Takes Over the Captaincy
Pieter-Steph du Toit will lead South Africa in the opening Test.
The World Rugby Player of the Year takes over the captaincy with regular skipper Siya Kolisi being given additional time to recover from a hamstring problem.
Erasmus acknowledged the significance of the opening match and admitted there would be pressure surrounding the series.
He stressed that although there would be opportunities to recover if South Africa lost the first encounter, starting the rivalry with a victory would be far preferable.
New Zealand Begins a New Era
The All Blacks arrive with their own ambitions after a coaching change.
Dave Rennie replaced Scott Robertson in March and is attempting to rebuild New Zealand’s challenge for supremacy in world rugby.
Rennie acknowledged that his team is still learning under the new regime and faced difficult decisions when selecting his side.
He said several players were in strong form and that competition for places was intense, particularly in the second row.
Holland Gets the Nod for New Zealand
New Zealand have made just one change to the team that produced an impressive Nations Championship victory over Ireland in Auckland last month.
Fabian Holland comes into the starting lineup in place of Patrick Tuipulotu.
The rest of the side remains largely unchanged as Rennie’s team prepares for one of the toughest tests available in international rugby.
Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks, with Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett among the key names in the backline.
A Trophy Designed for the Rivalry
The four-match contest has been promoted as the “Greatest Rivalry”, with organisers describing it as a series unlike any other.
A new trophy was unveiled during the week, with an unusual design reflecting the shared nature of the contest.
If the four-match series finishes level, the trophy can be physically separated into two magnetic halves, allowing both countries to share it.
South Africa’s Starting XV
South Africa will begin with Damian Willemse at fullback, with Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Kurt-Lee Arendse completing the backline.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at flyhalf alongside Grant Williams at scrumhalf.
Jasper Wiese, Du Toit and Paul de Villiers form the loose trio, while Ruan Nortje and Etzebeth are selected in the second row.
The front row consists of Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Zachary Porthen, Cobus Wiese, Andre Esterhuizen, Marco van Staden, Cobus Reinach and Libbok make up the replacements.
All Blacks Starting XV
New Zealand will field Damian McKenzie at fullback, with Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett and Josh Moorby in the backline.
Ruben Love starts at flyhalf, with Cam Roigard at scrumhalf.
Savea leads the pack alongside Luke Jacobson and Tupou Vaa’i, while Holland and Josh Lord form the second row.
Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor and Ethan de Groot make up the front three.
Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Anton Segner, Peter Lakai, Kyle Preston, Anton Lienert-Brown and Leroy Carter are named among the replacements.
A Test of Matfield’s Greatest-Ever Verdict
Matfield’s claim puts an additional spotlight on a Springbok side already carrying extraordinary expectations.
South Africa’s recent World Cup success and Rugby Championship dominance provide a powerful argument, but the All Blacks remain the ultimate benchmark for any Springbok generation.
With four Tests ahead, the rivalry offers an immediate opportunity for the current team to strengthen its case as one of the greatest sides in South African rugby history.
What’s Next?
The first Test between South Africa and New Zealand will take place at Ellis Park, beginning a four-weekend showdown that will also visit Cape Town, Johannesburg and Baltimore.
For Erasmus and his players, victory would provide an early statement of intent.
For New Zealand, the series represents a chance for Rennie’s new era to make an immediate impact against the reigning two-time world champions.
The battle will also give rugby fans a direct answer to one of Matfield’s biggest claims: whether this Springbok generation really deserves to be regarded as the greatest of them all.
Summary
Victor Matfield has described the current Springbok team as the greatest South Africa has ever had, pointing to the side’s exceptional ability to win even when performances are not at their best.
That reputation will now face its biggest challenge as South Africa prepares for a four-Test series against New Zealand.
With two recent World Cup triumphs and back-to-back Rugby Championship titles behind them, the Springboks enter the rivalry with an impressive record, while the All Blacks begin a new era under coach Dave Rennie.
The opening encounter at Ellis Park promises to be more than another chapter in rugby’s most historic rivalry.
It could also begin the next stage in the debate over where this Springbok generation ranks among the greatest teams in the sport.
