Springboks seek to avoid series loss to New Zealand

South Africa's Springboks will seek to avoid a rare home series defeat when they face New Zealand in the second test of their "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry" series at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The world champions trail 1-0 after a 33-16 loss at Ellis Park in Johannesburg last weekend, a match where handling errors and poor decision-making proved costly despite the Springboks' dominance in key areas like the scrum and contact play. The defeat has placed significant focus on the Springboks' preparation and leadership. Head coach Rassie Erasmus has taken personal responsibility for the loss, stating that tactical planning and contingency measures for injuries were inadequate.