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- This marks the 100th time these two teams have met, 100 years after their first Test
on 13th August 1921 at Carisbrook. - The All Blacks won the first Test between these two teams 13-5 in Dunedin, while the
Springboks won the 50th Test 13-3 at Athletic Park in 1998. - The All Blacks have won 59 of their past 99 Tests against the Springboks, with 36 losses
and four draws. - This will be the fifth time they have met on neutral soil, and the first outside of a Rugby
World Cup tournament (1999 in Cardiff, 2003 in Melbourne, 2015 at Twickenham and
2019 at Yokohama). - It has been 735 days since their last meeting, with the All Blacks winning 23-13 in
Yokohama at RWC 2019.
Beauden Barrett (left) chats with All Blacks coach Ian Foster (right) ahead of the 100th Test between the sides. Credit:AP
New Zealand are coming off back-to-back wins over Argentina, while South Africa will be desperate to rebound after consecutive losses to the Wallabies.
All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea has never forgotten his first Test against the mighty Springboks.
“The next day I couldn’t feel my body,” he confessed, on the eve of the 100th clash between rugby’s greatest rivals in the incongruous setting of Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
With the All Blacks now ensconced in the north Queensland resort town for the latest stop on this rolling tour of the Sunshine State, Savea was only too happy to add to the feeling that Saturday’s match-up has the makings of something very special indeed.
Will Jordan and Ardie Savea.Credit:Getty
G’day rugby lovers.
Welcome to our live blog of a blockbuster day and night at Townsville.
First up we’ve got the No.1 and No.2 teams in the world, New Zealand and South Africa, battling it out, before the Wallabies aim to make it three on the trot for the first time in four years when they take on Argentina.
Kick-off for the Springboks and All Blacks game is at 5.05pm AEST.
Siya Kolisi of the Springboks and Ardie Savea of the All Blacks pose with the Freedom Cup trophy on Friday. Credit:Getty