Rassie says peaking at right time against All Blacks will be crucial: ‘It won’t be 4-0’

The Springboks are targeting a series win over the All Blacks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. The Springboks will be aiming to continue their impressive recent dominance over their biggest rivals, the All Blacks, when they collide in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September. It is the first traditional tour between the two nations since 1996, and will see the All Blacks take on South Africa’s four United Rugby Championship franchises, and then battle it out with the Boks in a four-Test series. Although New Zealand have the better overall record, the Boks have firmly had the wood over their Southern Hemisphere rivals in their most recent meetings, winning seven of their last 10 matches, and five of their last six. They will be hoping to continue that form and clinch what would be a massive series win, to keep hold of their world number one ranking, and make a major statement ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said he was pretty happy with the way their international season has started, with a big non-Test win over the Barbarians and three wins in their home Nations Championship games against England, Scotland and Wales. Speaking ahead of their trip to Argentina for a one-off Test against Los Pumas next week Saturday, Erasmus explained they just had to continue building up into the New Zealand series. Shouldn’t peak “We feel comfortable that over a four-Test series against New Zealand we shouldn’t peak in the first game and then not be able to last all four games,” said Erasmus. “We are fairly confident that we’ll be 100 per cent for the New Zealand tour. But a four-Test series is long, and the last Test is in Baltimore. “So we play the first match and try to win it, and then after that it’s another three Test matches, so I really don’t think you want to say from game one, we are so ready. “You want to build and build so that when it comes to the crunch matches you are at your peak. I don’t think any of us thinks the other team is going to beat the other 4-0. It’s going to be much tougher than that.” Erasmus also said he was looking forward to the franchise matches, where some of the players just bubbling under the Springboks will be looking to stand out for the Stormers, Bulls, Lions and Sharks against the All Blacks. “The franchise matches are pretty special. I remember playing for the Cheetahs in a midweek game against the British and Irish Lions and also playing my first Test for the Springboks against them. That Free State jersey has been framed,” said Erasmus. “It’s a massive privilege to play the All Blacks. For those players to face the haka is going to be an honour.”