Springboks Dominate Greatest Rivalry XV With 9 Players After 3–1 Series Win Over All Blacks
- Nine Springboks have earned places in the combined Greatest Rivalry XV after a memorable series against the All Blacks
- The star-studded selection includes several familiar Bok names, but two major players were surprisingly left out
- Malcolm Marx received special praise from the former Springbok props after making a huge impact throughout the four-Test series
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South Africa’s dominance in the Greatest Rivalry series is reflected in Steven Kitshoff and Trevor Nyakane’s combined XV, with nine Springboks selected after the Boks beat New Zealand 3-1.
The former World Cup-winning props revealed their team on the For the Love of Rugby: South Africa podcast following the four-Test series.
Malcolm Marx leads Springboks selections
Malcolm Marx was an automatic choice at hooker after making a major impact throughout the series.
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According to SA Rugby Magazine, Kitshoff praised Marx’s influence around the field, saying he “makes an impact every time he’s around the ball”. He also highlighted the hooker’s physicality, describing his carrying and tackling in typically colourful terms.
Nyakane was equally impressed, calling Marx “a one-man wrecking ball” and saying he was “hard to stop”.
Marx’s performances earned recognition beyond the former Springbok props, with Victor Matfield also singling him out among the players who stood out during the series. He was ultimately joined by fellow Springboks Ox Nché and Wilco Louw in an all-South African front row.
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Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ardie Savea miss out
The selection also contained notable omissions. Two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit was left out, while New Zealand star Ardie Savea also missed selection. Savea had scored three tries during the opening three Tests before a shoulder injury ruled him out of the final match.
Instead, Jasper Wiese was selected at No 8, with Luke Jacobson joining Siya Kolisi in the loose forwards.
The rest of the XV included Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe for South Africa, while New Zealand supplied Damian McKenzie, Jordie Barrett, Ethan Hooker, Ruben Love, Cam Roigard and Tupou Vaa’i.
Kitshoff and Nyakane’s Greatest Rivalry XV
The combined team selected by Kitshoff and Nyakane is:
15. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
13. Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
12. Damian de Allende (South Africa)
11. Ethan Hooker (New Zealand)
10. Ruben Love (New Zealand)
9. Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
8. Jasper Wiese (South Africa)
7. Luke Jacobson (New Zealand)
6. Siya Kolisi (South Africa)
5. Tupou Vaa’i (New Zealand)
4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
3. Wilco Louw (South Africa)
2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
1. Ox Nché (South Africa)
The selection gives South Africa nine places and New Zealand six, reflecting the performances seen across the four-Test series.
The selection follows South Africa’s 3-1 series victory over New Zealand, with the podcast team reflecting on the performances after the rivalry concluded.
Refereeing debate adds another layer to Greatest Rivalry
Briefly News previously reported that a veteran New Zealand journalist had questioned the Springboks’ scrum tactics following their 3-1 series victory over the All Blacks.
Mark Reason argued that South Africa had become particularly effective at exploiting the finer details of Test rugby, including how officials interpreted scrum decisions. His comments added to a wider debate in New Zealand about the margins that influenced the series.
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Source: Briefly News
