Overview
- The four‑Test series is level at 1‑1 and the third Test will be played at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, September 5 with close to 90,000 expected.
- Rassie Erasmus picked a largely unchanged Springbok side that restores Ox Nché, Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx to the front row while Cheslin Kolbe moves to fullback after Damian Willemse’s hamstring injury.
- All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has formally raised concerns that the Springboks are ‘walking around’ in scrums and Springbok staff including scrum coach Daan Human and Erasmus have publicly rejected that claim.
- New Zealand’s attack has produced nine tries across two Tests and the All Blacks could boost their set‑piece work if prop Ethan de Groot and lock Josh Lord are cleared to return from HIA protocols.
- The match’s outcome is expected to hinge on set‑piece and breakdown control, the referee’s rulings and how each side handles Johannesburg’s high altitude and noisy FNB crowd, with series momentum and World Cup planning on the line.