History will be made in the World Rugby rankings this weekend if New Zealand can win the third Test against the Springboks in Soweto to regain the No 1 ranking from South Africa.
That would make it a third consecutive week where the team at the top has changed, which has never happened before. South Africa go into this match in Soweto with a 0.54-point advantage over the All Blacks, but that will increase to 3.38 points if they win by more than 15 points.
Rassie Erasmus’ men drew level in the four-match series with their 33-26 triumph in Cape Town. That followed on from the All Blacks winning 33-16 in Johannesburg in the opening encounter and it means it is all on the line this weekend because whichever team loses cannot win the series.
The fourth and final Test will be played in the USA at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The two teams will then prepare for the second half of the inaugural Nations Championship in November, when the All Blacks will be coming to play Wales at the Principality Stadium on 14 November.
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The All Blacks have a 100 per cent record to defend at the FNB Stadium having won there 29-22 in 2010 and 32-16 two years later. Lock Tupou Vaa’i will be hoping to help his team make it a hat-trick on the day he wins his 50th cap.
Hooker Asafo Aumua comes in to start with Samisoni Taukei’aho coming onto the bench as impact. Sam Darry starts at lock in his 11th Test, while Fabian Holland moves to the bench. Peter Lakai will start in the six jersey, and Wallace Sititi will make his first Test appearance in the Series, coming into the 23 as loose forward impact.
“It’s going to be a special day for Tupou and his family and additional motivation for us. With both teams heading into the third Test one apiece, there’s everything to play for on Saturday,” said All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie.
“The team that doesn’t win this weekend can’t win the series. That’s the kind of challenge we love to rise to.”
Erasmus has made changes and one positional switch to his starting team for the clash. Props Ox Nche and Wilco Louw return to the front row with hooker Malcolm Marx as Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie drop to the bench.
With full back Damian Willemse ruled out with injury, new kicking ace Cheslin Kolbe switches from wing to fullback. Kurt-Lee Arendse comes in on the right wing to replace him.
“We know how it felt to lose after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team. So, we have no doubt that the All Blacks will go full-out to win this Test match before the series finale in the USA next week,” said Erasmus, who has 958 caps in the starting line-up.
“They are one of the two best teams in the world and based on experience, as we saw last weekend, they never give up. This will undoubtedly be another epic encounter between the sides.
“After two games, we are both into hard Test rugby mode, and we have a good idea of what to expect from one another. That means it’s going to be another grind of a match.”
Meanwhile Wales other opponents in the autumn, Australia and Japan, are both in action this weekend.
The Wallabies are still seeking to find a settled fly half, with Ben Donaldson the latest cab off the rank after Carter Gordon was dropped to the bench for tomorrow’s clash against Argentina.
Donaldson will start for the first time in two years in Mendoza as the Wallabies aim to make it two from two against the Pumas after winning in Jujuy last weekend.
Japan head coach Eddie Jones has made five changes to the starting XV that crashed to a 56-17 defeat to Australia three weeks ago for the Centenary Test against Canada in Niigata City.
Skipper and lock Warner Dearns is out as one of three changes to the pack, with Jack Cornelsen named as Harry Hockings’ partner in the second row.
Scrum-half Naoto Saito takes on the armband in the absence of Dearns.
Saturday’s Test marks the centenary of the forming of the Japan Rugby Union, with the Brave Blossoms hoping to mark the occasion with a first win in five matches.