All Blacks v Springboks combined team: Siya Kolisi misses out but South Africa have the edge for Eden Park showdown
All Blacks Jordie Barrett and Wallace Sititi either side of Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth.
As we gear up for a mighty clash between the All Blacks and Springboks at Eden Park, we run through the two teamsheets and select a combined 23.
The world’s top two teams clash in Auckland this weekend in the biggest game since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, where South Africa edged past New Zealand 12-11 at the Stade de France.
That scoreline, rather coincidently, also represents the split in the number of players from each team. Unsurprisingly, there were a number of tight decisions throughout the 23 with the Boks having an edge in the starting XV and the hosts potentially having more impactful replacements.
Combined All Blacks v Springboks side
15 Will Jordan (All Blacks)
An easy call despite him going up against a Springboks centurion in Willie le Roux. Jordan has been playing at a world-class level for a while and has been one of the few New Zealand backs to thrive in 2025. An outstanding operator with a remarkable try-scoring record, he will be a big threat to the South African defence this weekend.
14 Cheslin Kolbe (Springboks)
There have been few better wings than Kolbe this year. Some thought his influence might be reduced following the removal of the ‘escort’ law due to his smaller stature but, if anything, he has become even more effective. The speedster has been incredible in the air and enabled the Springboks to recover box-kicks with regularity, while he remains potent when given the ball in hand.
13 Jesse Kriel (Springboks)
Will captain South Africa this weekend despite the presence of Siya Kolisi in their team, which shows just how important he has become to the back-to-back world champions. Kriel is one of the best defensive centres in the game and easily gets the spot over Billy Proctor, who is taking time to adapt to Test level.
12 Jordie Barrett (All Blacks)
The closest call so far and perhaps throughout the whole 23. Damian de Allende continues to be absolutely magnificent for the Springboks but Barrett just seems to have gone to another level in 2025. He rescued his side in the third Test against France and offers both a carrying and passing threat.
11 Canan Moodie (Springboks)
We’re not necessarily surprised that Rieko Ioane remains in the All Blacks XV but his form is such that Moodie gets the nod. Particularly with how both teams play and the importance of the aerial game nowadays, the Springbok simply has better wing skills than his rival.
10 Beauden Barrett (All Blacks)
Another tight one as Handre ‘clutch’ Pollard always steps up when it matters but, in terms of consistency and all-round skill set, Barrett is simply the better fly-half. He has also generally kicked well off the tee this year – not always a strength of his – and if he does so again then New Zealand have a good chance of keeping their Eden Park record intact.
9 Grant Williams (Springboks)
There were a few doubts about the Boks scrum-half position heading into 2025 but Williams has been preferred for the past four Tests and has stepped up nicely. The playmaker is renowned for his speed around the fringes but his passing has been sharp and his box-kicking accurate. Finlay Christie did well in Argentina, but the All Blacks are struggling at half-back due to the injuries to Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima and Noah Hotham.
8 Wallace Sititi (All Blacks)
Kolisi has a good claim for the shirt given his obvious quality and all that he has achieved in the game, while Sititi is only just returning from injury, but the Springboks legend has not played much at number eight. His rival, however, is a natural in the position and Scott Robertson will hope he provides a big impact around the field.
7 Ardie Savea (All Blacks)
Set to earn his 100th cap and he was always going to make this combined team. Marco van Staden has had a fine year but Savea has continued to operate at a very high level in 2025, impressing despite the All Blacks’ mixed displays.
6 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Springboks)
Another easy call as the current World Rugby Player of the Year remains a critical cog in the South African machine. Rookie Simon Parker may well reach the levels of Du Toit eventually – we are certainly big fans of the Chiefs flanker – but the Springboks star continues to set the standards in the back-row. He has certainly changed the role of a blindside.
5 Scott Barrett (All Blacks)
Granted, he wears number four but the All Blacks do not really operate with your traditional tighthead lock, which means he would combine effectively with Eben Etzebeth. Barrett is certainly abrasive at close quarters but he’s also an excellent jumper in the lineout and has excellent skills and mobility in the loose.
4 Eben Etzebeth (Springboks)
South Africa might have suffered a shock defeat in Johannesburg but Etzebeth was utterly immense, before he followed that up by making an excellent impact off the bench in Cape Town. Now the record cap holder for the Springboks, overtaking fellow great Victor Matfield, the 33-year-old is still the best lock in the world.
3 Thomas du Toit (Springboks)
Maybe a controversial call for some but, now free from the duties of also covering loosehead, Du Toit dominated in the set-piece against the Wallabies and retains his place for the huge Eden Park clash. Fletcher Newell has deputised superbly for Tyrel Lomax but, for us, the Bath star will prove to be one of the best operators around if given a consistent run in the Boks side.
2 Malcolm Marx (Springboks)
Codie Taylor remains a key component of that All Blacks pack but, despite his lineout struggles in Johannesburg, Marx is still ahead of his New Zealand rival at hooker. If he can get his set-piece right then the 31-year-old offers so much elsewhere – from carrying to the breakdown – to the extent that he can be a big point of difference in the contest.
1 Ox Nche (Springboks)
Although Ethan de Groot has enjoyed an improved 2025 – after the decline he suffered last year – Nche is still the best scrummaging prop in the world. The Boks loosehead had a few issues in a struggling Sharks pack earlier in the year but, after returning to the South Africa environment, he is back to his best.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho (All Blacks), 17 Tamaiti Williams (All Blacks), 18 Tyrel Lomax (All Blacks), 19 Lood de Jager (Springboks), 20 Kwagga Smith (Springboks), 21 Cobus Reinach (Springboks), 22 Damian McKenzie (All Blacks), 23 Quinn Tupaea (All Blacks)
While we like the starting Springboks front-row, we think the All Blacks have an edge with their options on the bench. Taukei’aho and Williams are two incredibly powerful human beings, who are both strong in the loose and in the set-piece, while the return of Lomax is a huge boost for the hosts.
Elsewhere, it is pretty even with South Africa having a couple of exceptional options in the back five of the scrum thanks to the presence of De Jager and Smith, while McKenzie and Tupaea give a bit more impetus for Robertson’s men behind the scrum.
