Overview
- Matchday squads were announced and the first Test at Ellis Park is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, which kicks off the four‑Test tour that finishes in Baltimore, USA.
- South Africa start as world champions and hold a slim lead in the World Rugby rankings, a margin that a single result in Johannesburg could flip according to ranking calculations.
- Coach Rassie Erasmus left captain Siya Kolisi out as a hamstring precaution while Dave Rennie has recalled Ardie Savea to strengthen New Zealand’s back row.
- Erasmus has warned of an unusual All Blacks aerial tactic that sees a winger running back to catch high balls, and both sides expect the lineout, scrum, breakdown and aerial contests to be decisive.
- The build‑up has been unusually heated with public tactical barbs and law‑interpretation pressure, and South Africa arrive on a 12‑match winning run seeking to extend momentum before the series moves to Cape Town and FNB Stadium.