New Zealand v South Africa predictions and rugby union tips: Fresh Boks can take it to All Blacks

Where to watch New Zealand v South Africa

Sky Sports Main Event & Action, 8.05am Saturday

Best bet

South Africa +8
2pts 10-11 Hills

New Zealand v South Africa preview 

South Africa’s gamble to send some of their big-hitters to New Zealand early paid off in round one of the Rugby Championship - and a fresher Springboks side should prove a handful in Saturday’s potential title decider in Auckland. 

The southern hemisphere superpowers both recorded emphatic victories to kick off the truncated three-week tournament with South Africa dominating Australia 43-12 before New Zealand cruised to a 41-12 win in Argentina.

It was tough to find fault in either side’s performance, although the Boks’ win was arguably the more impressive.

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber fielded a mix-and-match side for the six-try demolition of the Wallabies after sending an advance party to New Zealand. 

Among the early arrivals were Cheslin Kolbe, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse and skipper Eben Etzebeth, all of whom return to a South Africa starting line-up showing ten changes from last week. 

In contrast, All Blacks boss Ian Foster took nearly his entire squad to Argentina, including second-row pair Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock who didn’t play against the Pumas.

The All Blacks are unbeaten in eight matches after pummelling the Pumas in an up-tempo performance that was more encouraging than the majority of showings in 2022 but didn’t quite measure up statistically to South Africa’s win. 

The Boks recorded more metres, beat more defenders and had more linebreaks than New Zealand last week in an impressive display of physical and direct rugby that should have resulted in more than six tries.

Defensively, South Africa should do more to interrupt New Zealand’s flow than Argentina did and this looks a far closer game than a handicap of eight points would suggest.

This fixture is a significant milestone on the road to the autumn's World Cup, and one world champions South Africa, who are unbeaten on their last two visits to New Zealand, will be desperate to win.

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