Mike Blair and Dave Rennie look to outrun Rassie Erasmus in ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’

Between them, they have won seven of 10 Rugby World Cups and go into Saturday’s first Test in Johannesburg ranked first and second in the world. They may have the history but they are also about the here and now.

Theirs is a rivalry that stretches back to 1921 when South Africa arrived in New Zealand by steamship. There are no such travel obstacles today but this latest renewal has a whiff of nostalgia about it. It has been dubbed a ‘throwback tour’, a return to the days when visiting national sides would spend the summer in a foreign land, playing midweek games against local teams as prep for the Test matches.

The All Blacks arrived in South Africa in late July and have already chalked up big wins over United Rugby Championship sides the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls. But Saturday is the real deal, the first of four Tests against the Springboks, the first three of which will be played on South African soil, with the fourth and final Test taking place in Baltimore on America’s Eastern Seaboard.

Spiky build-up

It is the first time in 30 years that New Zealand have embarked on such a tour to South Africa and the build-up has been suitably spiky. These are two proud rugby nations and each has questioned the other’s credentials.

While the Springboks have clearly been the preeminent international team for some years, their style isn’t universally loved. A reliance on power, the set-piece and slowing down the opposition doesn’t always make for compelling viewing. The All Blacks philosophy has always been more adventurous and looks like remaining so under Dave Rennie and his attack coach, Mike Blair.

The appointment of former Edinburgh coach and Scotland assistant Blair is an intriguing one and the early signs are encouraging for the new coaching team. New Zealand beat France, Italy and Ireland in the Nations Championship and Blair believes they have identified ways to overcome the Springboks.

“We’ve been walking towards this for quite some time,” said Scotland’s most capped scrum-half. “We know what South Africa are going to bring. They’ve got some real strengths in amongst their DNA, but we see some opportunities as well.”

While New Zealand’s high-tempo running game has been in evidence, playing the Boks at Ellis Park is the acid Test for Rennie’s side. South Africa are on ​a 12-game winning streak and view this series as ideal preparation in their quest to win an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup next year.

Rassie Erasmus has omitted captain Siya Kolisi for Saturday’s game, turning instead to Paul de Villiers as his breakdown warrior. Their is also a show of faith in the supremely gifted Sacha ⁠Feinberg-Mngomezulu who gets the nod at fly-half, with Manie Libbok on the bench and Handré Pollard not in the 23.

Boks have won five of last six

The Springboks have won five of the last six matches against New Zealand and the run includes their victory in the Rugby World Cup final in France in 2023 and a 43-10 thrashing of the All Blacks in Wellington last year.

Erasmus is a great innovator but the South African coach is also the ultimate pragmatist and puts results ahead of style. He expects a far stiffer test from ex-Glasgow coach Rennie’s New Zealand and knows how important it is to make a winning start.

“They are a quality team and they’re very well coached, so we are preparing for an 80-minute grind,” he said.