MARK KEOHANE | SA-All Blacks rivalry burns as hot as ever — will baby Boks and Blacks carry the torch?

On Australia’s Sunshine Coast a new era started for southern hemisphere rugby and the historic tournament opener between New Zealand and South Africa typified everything that has made the Springboks and All Blacks the greatest rivalry in the sport.

There have been 10 men’s Rugby World Cups since 1987. The Springboks have won four (in eight appearances) and the All Blacks have won three since hosting the inaugural World Cup.

Australia, hosts of the first-ever under 20 Rugby Championship, have won two, with England the only northern hemisphere country to win the title. Martin Johnson’s 2003 squad did this with a 100th minute drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson to defeat the Wallabies.

There is no bigger clash in the sport than when the All Blacks play the Springboks. In more than 100 years and 100 Tests, the Boks have only ever won one away series in New Zealand, way back in 1937. They took the three-Test series 2-1. The All Blacks, inspired by captain Sean Fitzpatrick, won a series for the first time in South Africa in 1996. The scoreline 2-1.

The two teams have met in two World Cup finals. South Africa has won both (15-12 in Johannesburg in 1995 and 12-11 in Paris in 2023). They have met in one bronze medal finale: the Boks won that in Cardiff in 1999. The All Blacks won the pool matchup in 2019 in Japan, the quarterfinal in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, and the semifinal at Twickenham, England, en route to their title win in 2015. 

The two nations are split 3-all at World Cups and in the Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber coaching era that started in 2018, the average result has separated the teams by a point. In last year’s World Cup final, the difference was one point, with the Boks winning 12-11.

This is a rivalry that runs deep and has done so since the first Test in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1921. The All Blacks won 13-5.

Now to Thursday’s clash of the baby Boks and baby All Blacks or baby Blacks as many call them.

Typically, it was a repeat of what the seniors have dished up for over 100 years. The All Blacks led early in horrid wet-weather conditions, which was a contradiction in terms of where the tournament is being played.

There was no winner and many would say it was the appropriate score for these two prime rugby nations.

The All Blacks led 3-0 at halftime then 8-0. The Boks struck back to lead 13-8 and, on 77 minutes and with the Boks reduced to 14 players, the All Blacks scored to level 13-all. The touchline conversion failed and the Boks, in a perplexing moment, chose not to pursue an 81st minute penalty kick downfield. Instead, they tapped, kicked to touch and ended the match. They were a forward down and this may have influenced the decision to settle for a draw.

There was no winner and many would say it was the appropriate score for these two prime rugby nations.

The conditions were more water polo than rugby and hosts Australia were the biggest losers — going down 25-8 to Argentina in the late game. The conditions were a cross to carry for the way Australia’s under 20s play the game. Theirs is a game based on pace and ball in hand. Argentina didn't mind it slow, didn't mind percentage rugby and field position and had enough fire power to strike from close range.

The conditions suited the baby Boks more, given their authority among the forwards and in the collisions. 

The quality, to a casual observer, would not have been great, but the playing conditions can’t be overstated when it comes to difficulty.

Personally, I liked the presence of centre Bruce Sherwood and the impact of hooker Juan Smal and back rower Bathobele Hlekani.

Did I see future Test Springboks and All Blacks in the match?

Not at first glance, but what I did see was that the passion burns as much for an under-20 matchup as it does a Test clash for players from South Africa and New Zealand — and that is what makes this fixture so special and the rivalry so irresistible.

South Africa plays Australia next Tuesday and finishes against Argentina on Sunday, May 12.