All Blacks and Springboks set for a Wellington test that could be pivotal in the Rugby Championship

By Canadian Press on September 11, 2025.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The second test between New Zealand and South Africa on Saturday may play a major part in deciding the outcome of this year’s Rugby Championship.

After losing to the All Blacks 24-17 last weekend, the Springboks are one win behind New Zealand and Australia in the standings.

If New Zealand wins in Wellington and Australia beats Argentina in Sydney, the Championship may hinge on the two Bledisloe Cup tests between the All Blacks and Wallabies.

Springbok strategems

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has responded to last week’s loss to New Zealand by making seven changes to his starting lineup, five in the backline.

Erasmus has selected new halves and midfield combinations as he tries to spark the Springboks attack which was disorganized last weekend.

Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will combine in the halves while Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse team up in the centers. Siya Kolisi resumes as captain.

“It would have been paradise if we’d won last weekend and still made the changes we planned,” Erasmus said. “Not many players get the chance to face New Zealand away.

“After this game the only other opportunity will be after the World Cup, so the idea was to win and also expose some guys to the pressure of facing the team currently ranked No. 1 in the world.”

All Blacks rookie

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has chosen winger Leroy Carter to make his test debut Saturday, replacing Rieko Ioane.

Ioane’s attacking play has lacked sharpness recently and Robertson has turned to Carter who he says is “probably the fastest (rugby player) in New Zealand.”

While Carter will face a high-pressure debut, he has significant international experience after playing more than 100 games for the New Zealand rugby sevens team, including at last year’s Olympics.

It’s still a major elevation for a player who recently was making his living as an electrician.

“I was playing National Provincial Championship and then going back to work as a sparky (electrician),” Carter said. “The Sevens environment gave me a professional contract where I could just focus on rugby. All the little things I could focus on — nutrition, planning — it helped me a lot.”

Impact importance

The Springboks bench made an impact last week, helping to add some sharpness to a team which previously had lacked it on attack.

New Zealand scored two tries in the first quarter and opened a 17-3 lead before South Africa finished strongly.

“We all know a lot of players didn’t perform well and plenty of coaches, myself included, didn’t coach well last week,” Erasmus said. “One positive was how the game ended.

“The guys who came on brought energy and fight.”

Robertson, by dropping Fletcher Newell to the bench beside Tamaiti Williams, has two strong props to shore up the All Blacks’ scrum late in the match.

The selection of Ruben Love on the bench adds a player who could spark the All Blacks’ backline late in the match.

Home ground disadvantage?

After securing their 51st consecutive win at Eden Park last weekend, the All Blacks head to the New Zealand capital, which has not always been their most fruitful home ground.

The All Blacks most recent home loss to South Africa was at Wellington in 2018, when the Springboks won 36-34.

Until recently, New Zealand had a better record in the professional era at Twickenham (London) and Ellis Park (Johannesburg) than at Wellington.

“The South Africans have beaten us twice the last two times we’ve played (in Wellington) so that’s another record you’ve got to be mindful of,” Robertson said. “Our preparation and focus have been on getting back to the capital and keeping our form.

“We’ve got to improve. We know that with these double headers, you’ve got to improve week to week. We’ve learned that recently.”

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Steve Mcmorran, The Associated Press