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13h ago

All Blacks Beat Springboks 33-16 and Claim World No. 1 as Tour Turns to Squad Shake‑Up

Injuries and concussion rules are forcing rapid selection changes before the Cape Town Test.

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Rugby Union - New Zealand tour of South Africa - South Africa v New Zealand - Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa - August 22, 2026 New Zealand's Jordie Barrett celebrates after the match REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 22: Damian Willemse of the Springboks during the Castle Double Malt Greatest Rivalry Tour match between South Africa and New Zealand at 10bet Ellis Park on August 22, 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images)

Overview

  • The All Blacks beat the Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series and move to the top of the world rankings.
  • Loose forward Anton Segner was withdrawn before the first Test with a swollen ankle assessed as acute inflammatory arthritis and is unavailable this week.
  • Props Ethan De Groot and Josh Lord left the match with concussions and have been placed on World Rugby’s 12-day stand-down, ruling them out of the Cape Town Test.
  • New Zealand called up prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi and lock Jamie Hannah as emergency cover who arrived on Monday and none of the All Blacks’ Test starters were selected for the provincial match against the Lions.
  • South Africa have recalled Handré Pollard at flyhalf and bracketed Siya Kolisi at No.6 with coach Rassie Erasmus saying the Boks must win the next three Tests to take the series while both unions use provincial fixtures to manage workload and build depth ahead of the 2027 World Cup cycle.