Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has warned that the All Blacks typically elevate their performance against South Africa and that his team must be at their best for the upcoming two Test matches.

The World Champions will host New Zealand at Ellis Park Stadium on 31 August before a rematch at DHL Stadium on 31 September. These encounters will be a reprise of last year’s Rugby World Cup final, where the Springboks narrowly defeated their rivals 12-11.

The Boks enter these matches with momentum, having defeated Australia twice in Australia, marking the first time since 1998 that the Boks registered back-to-back victories on a tour to Australasia, to claim the top spot in the Rugby Championship. New Zealand, who lost to Argentina in their opening match, rebounded with a victory last week.

Despite the All Blacks’ early loss and coupled with the appointment of new coach Scott Robertson, Erasmus remains cautious. He believes New Zealand often outperforms South Africa, even when they are not at their peak.

“They are one of the best teams in the world and they tend to deliver top drawer performances against us time and time again, so we have to be charged up physically and mentally for the challenge ahead,” said Erasmus after he named his squad on Tuesday.  

“It’s good that we are facing them at home in front of our passionate supporters in sold-out stadiums, although they have a strong support base in Cape Town, so we are under no illusions about what lies ahead. 

 “That said, it’s vital for us to continue building on the momentum that we gained in our first two games. 

“We are currently at the top of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship table, but one result can change that, so we realise the importance of giving everything in these matches to keep alive our hopes of winning the title for the first time since 2019.” 

Erasmus has recalled three Rugby World Cup winners – Steven Kitshoff, Jaden Hendrikse, and Canan Moodie – from injury. He’s also brought back Jasper Wiese, Andre Esterhuizen, and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg to a 37-man squad.

This expanded squad emphasizes Erasmus’ seriousness about the All Blacks, who he believes will present a different challenge to Australia.

“New Zealand are ranked third in the world, and they always test us to the limit,” said Erasmus. 

“We also saw last week what they can do under pressure when they defeated Argentina 42-10 after going down in their first Test against the Pumas. 

“We know these two tests will provide a completely different challenge to what we’ve faced against an Australian team that is still finding their feet with a new coach and a bunch of young players coming through the ranks.”