AIM GAME: Sharpshooters may separate Boks and All Blacks in another tight series
While the Springboks and All Blacks look set to play with more attacking ambition in the Greatest Rivalry Test series, goal-kicking may be the difference between glory and defeat yet again.
The 105-year-old rivalry between the South African national rugby team, known as the Boks, and the New Zealand All Blacks has often been decided by the performance of their goal-kickers. Both teams have seen late penalties and crucial kicks shape their outcomes, as evidenced by Morné Steyn's winning strike against the British & Irish Lions in 2009 and Handré Pollard's late conversion against the All Blacks in 2023.
In recent seasons, South Africa's Boks have led the revolution in rugby with their attacking style of play, averaging 41 points and 5.8 tries per Test. This shift towards high-scoring games has made specialists like goal-kickers more important than ever. Pollard, the Boks' most reliable kicker, has a 96% success rate this World Cup cycle, while the All Blacks have struggled with their kicking options, with Jordie Barrett missing a late penalty in the 2023 World Cup final.
Despite the All Blacks' recent struggles, they have a mix of experienced kickers like Ruben Love and younger options like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cheslin Kolbe. Love has a 79% success rate in recent Tests, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu has a 75% success rate, and Kolbe has proven himself as an effective goal-kicker in the club season. With the upcoming Greatest Rivalry Test series, the kickers may very well be the deciding factor in this high-stakes competition between two of rugby's greatest teams.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
