Overview
- New Zealand stunned South Africa with a 33-16 win at Ellis Park last Saturday, ending the Springboks’ 12‑Test winning run and moving the All Blacks to the top of the World Rugby rankings.
- Coach Rassie Erasmus named a mostly unchanged side for the second Test, bringing Handré Pollard to fly‑half, Cobus Reinach to scrum‑half and Ethan Hooker onto the wing while Siya Kolisi is bracketed for fitness.
- Erasmus blamed unforced errors at the breakdown, handling mistakes and late disciplinary lapses for the loss and said he and his staff must correct tactics and execution in only a few training sessions.
- The Springboks now must win the remaining three Tests to claim the four‑match series, and a victory in Cape Town would likely be enough to return them to world No.1 under current ranking calculations.
- All Blacks coach Dave Rennie expects South Africa to double down on set pieces and aerial play, and both teams face a short turnaround that will test squad depth, injury management and bench impact.