Nigel Owens ignites All Blacks v Springboks ranking debate as ‘mythical creature’ clashes with ‘complete rugby’
Richie McCaw of the All Blacks (left) and the Springboks' Siya Kolisi
Retired referee Nigel Owens has ignited a social media debate about the All Blacks and the Springboks that doesn’t involve the standard of officiating in last Saturday’s Rugby Championship match.
Georgian Nika Amashukeli oversaw the Round Four fixture in Wellington that resulted in a record-breaking 43-10 win for Rassie Erasmus’ South Africa over Scott Robertson’s New Zealand.
The outcome, coupled with the result from Sydney, has left all four Championship participants with two wins and two losses heading into the final two rounds of matches on September 27 and October 4.
Australia lead the way on 11 points with South Africa and New Zealand on 10. Argentina are one point further back on the standings ahead of the upcoming Round Five matches featuring the All Blacks versus the Wallabies in Auckland and the Springboks against the Pumas in Durban.
“I’ll let you X debate…”
An intriguing denouement to the 2025 Rugby Championship is certainly in store. But in the meantime, centurion referee Owens wanted to gauge how the current back-to-back World Cup-winning Springboks side ranked compared to the double-winning All Blacks side of 2011-2015.
Posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Owens wrote: “Just caught up with the TRC. Great games. Well done, all involved.
“SA very impressive. If they carry on like this, history may well be made at the RWC 2027. Some team. Fair play. The All Blacks team of 2011-2015 or this Boks team of 2019-??? I’ll let you X debate.”
Owens’ teaser, which has so far had nearly 80,000 views, certainly exercised rugby fans and below are a sample of the replies the retired ref’s post received:
@RucksSake: South Africa are two wins and two losses already, a 50% win rate. They won two World Cups whilst losing at both competitions. The best NZ side were a mythical creature that you never believed would lose. They aren’t even close.
@SamuelHillNZ: Between 2010 and 2016, NZ played 94 Tests and lost 7. They were unbeaten at home and lost to Aus (3), SA (2) Eng (1) and Ire (1). From 2019 to 2025, SA have played 71 and lost 17. They have lost to NZ (5), Aus (4), Ire (3), Eng (1), Wal (1), Fra (1), Arg (1) and Lions (1).
@nzdiva: Nigel, SA were amazing on the weekend and are amazing. But they cannot top the 2015 All Blacks. Almost every single player in that team is a rugby great. If you don’t consider the 2023 RWC final result, which was very controversial, SA wouldn’t come close to them.
@socraptorsrugby: One thing about this SA team vs AB team of the early 2010s, the other teams are so much better in this era. Any of the top eight teams can beat each other on a given day.
@JacquesdeWet1: That NZ side hardly ever lost in that period, so probably still ahead at the moment. But if SA win a third WC in a row, then the debate will be over.
@bry54951: Think almost a tie. If the Boks win this TRC, they will have won a few, along with two World Cups. Five of the last six games against the ABs etc. If they beat Ireland AND France at home this year (highly unlikely given how refs ref when Fr are home, but possible) then it’s the Boks.
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@SureshotBerhane: The Boks are still short of that All Blacks team, but not far off! I reckon the threepeat in 2027 will put that argument to rest though! Maybe if we beat France and Ireland and win the Rugby Champs this year. It’s getting close, though.
@jrodbourn: This SA team is comfortably behind the ABs of 2011-15. Not even close.
@CalvinVanNike: It has to be this Springbok team. Haven’t seen a team play as complete rugby as this.
@njpnoway: Bok team has a better scrum – never seen this level of scrum dominance in 20 years. Not as consistent as ABs by a long way, but better at knockout rugby than ABs.
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@Geo5390: It’s a bit like comparing Federer and Djokovic. One is way better to watch than the other, but statistics don’t lie.
@BokScrum1211: Given the level of competition, rugby is in a far better place than it was in 2011-2015. I’ll just say that. The more top sides, the better.
@dowlking1: Up until very recently, I thought ABs 05-15 were going to be permanently untouchable…
@grantgriesel666: Depends on how many laws World Rugby can come up with to combat the Springboks by then.
