South Africa v New Zealand predictions and rugby union tips: Back the Boks

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for South Africa v New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Action, 4.05pm Saturday

Best bet

South Africa to win by one to 12 points
2pts 2-1 Boyles

Match preview

There’s no respite on the horizon for an embattled New Zealand squad as they prepare to start the defence of their Rugby Championship crown against a South Africa side hitting its stride.

The 2022 edition of the Southern Hemisphere tournament will see teams play a double-header at home against the same opponent and one away over the first four rounds with the All Blacks handed the hardest road series in Africa.

New Zealand rugby is experiencing its biggest crisis of this century after suffering a first home series loss since 1994 last month against Ireland, who extended New Zealand’s poor run of form to four defeats in five matches.

The knives are out for coach Ian Foster and captain Sam Cane with both reportedly having these next two games against the Springboks to save their jobs.

There’s little faith the turnaround will start in Mbombela though, and the All Blacks are underdogs for a Test match for the first time in 13 years.

Despite a difficult opening, layers are confident New Zealand will come good, making them odds-on to win the title they won with relative ease in 2021 when splitting their series with South Africa, who are 7-4 second-favourites for the Rugby Championship.

Both meetings were decided by two points, continuing a trend that’s seen the last seven Tests settled by ten points or fewer, and South Africa will be confident of edging their fiercest rivals on home soil.

The world champions won their summer series with Wales 2-1, moving through the gears to impress in the final Test as their smothering defence and dominant pack won the day.

The Boks will lean on their forwards to turn the screw on an All Blacks pack that struggled to compete at the breakdown against Ireland, giving an experienced South Africa side a great platform to open the Rugby Championship with a win.

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