Current Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been in the national setup since 2018, and in that time he has watched over 17 Tests against the All Blacks.
His record against our greatest foes on the rugby field sees him hold a record of 10 wins, one draw, and six losses.
Ten is a big number in Western society, so now that Erasmus has hit a decimal of victories, it gives us something to celebrate (controversial opinion: Base-12 — duodecimal counting — actually makes arithmetic much cleaner than decimal, making fraction-heavy game stats far simpler to parse… but I digress).
Of course, there is a major caveat when compiling his best victories over New Zealand. Between 2020 and 2023, Erasmus acted as SA Rugby’s director of rugby, with Jacques Nienaber as the Bok coach. Nonetheless, we will consider matches from that period as Erasmus played an integral part in their outcomes.
The nation also sincerely hopes that Saturday’s match in the fourth Test of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (kick-off 11pm) between the Boks and the All Blacks slots into this list, which would actually be quite pleasing from a duodecimal point of view, to be honest.
Here, The National looks at five of the Erasmus era’s best victories over New Zealand.
WELLINGTON: The Rugby Championship | 15 September 2018 | 36-34
The Boks | Tries: Dyantyi (2), Le Roux, Marx, Kolbe; Conversions: Pollard (4); Penalties: Pollard (1)
The All Blacks | Tries: J Barrett, A Smith, Ioane (2), Taylor, Savea; Conversions: B Barrett (2)
There was plenty of emotion after the Boks managed to claim a first victory in New Zealand since 2009, and the first in Wellington since 1998. The tears shed that day by Pieter-Steph du Toit brought many Bok supporters to their knees in joy.
For many, a victory would have seemed improbable after the first 16 minutes as the All Blacks scored twice to lead 12-0. Indeed, many supporters would have more likely consigned themselves to another bitter defeat than hoping to overturn the deficit at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
But a brilliant try from Aphiwe Dyantyi, the poaching instincts of Willie le Roux, and a maul try from Malcolm Marx ensured the Boks led 21-19 at half-time. A ferocious second half ensued, with the Boks pulling back the scoreline to 36-29 with 20 minutes to play.
The Boks then defended like Trojans during that period, even with Le Roux yellow-carded. Ardie Savea crashed over the whitewash in the 75th minute, but an uncharacteristic miss in a relatively easy conversion attempt by Beauden Barrett left the score at 36-34.
The Boks defended manfully in a chaotic and stressful five minutes, playing into the 83rd minute of the match. On attack in the red zone, Dyantyi did just enough to unsettle Damian McKenzie, who knocked the ball on to bring the match to an end and help the Boks record a famous victory.
NELSPRUIT: The Rugby Championship | 5 August 2022 | 26-10
The Boks | Tries: Arendse, Le Roux; Conversions: Pollard (2); Penalties: Pollard (3); Drop Goals: Pollard (1)
The All Blacks | Try: Frizell; Conversions: Mo'unga (1); Penalties: J Barrett (1)
Coached by Nienaber, the match did not start off well for the Boks. Faf de Klerk was knocked out cold during the first minute of the match after a knee to the head in an attempted tackle against Caleb Clarke.
That, however, was the only moment of concern during the match, as the Boks were dominant in the first half. They then put the hammer down to control the second half, ticking the scoreboard over with Handré Pollard slotting over two penalties and a drop goal to extend their lead to 19-3.
Kurt-Lee Arendse was red-carded in the 73rd minute for a reckless challenge on Beauden Barrett, but by that time the All Blacks had already been ground down into defeat. They scored a consolation try through Shannon Frizell a few minutes later, but it could not distract from a ruthless and clinical performance from the Boks.
PARIS: The Rugby World Cup | 28 October 2023 | 12-11
The Boks | Penalties: Pollard (4)
The All Blacks | Try: B Barrett; Penalties: Mo'unga (2)
Before the World Cup kicked off, the Boks crushed the All Blacks 35-7 at Twickenham, and although that was a much more dominant scoreline, it cannot compare to beating the New Zealanders in a final for a second time.
Moreover, to be completely honest, the match and result against France earlier in the quarter-finals was arguably the Boks' best performance during the tournament. Nonetheless, beating the All Blacks to secure a fourth Webb Ellis Trophy, and second consecutive championship, will long be remembered as one of the defining moments of the Erasmus-era.
Of course, Nienaber — as head coach — played a major role in the Boks reaching the final and eventually winning it, but as shown in Chasing the Sun 2, the collaborative effort between the two went a long way in securing the title.
Earlier, Pollard had already endeared himself to the South African masses with ice-cool performances against the French and a week later in a nerve-wracking semi-final against England. He started the final and once again showed that ice runs through his veins, scoring all the Boks’ points by slotting over four shots at goal under immense pressure at the Stade de France.
Fickle South Africans might question his role within the Bok setup now, but it is an undeniable fact that Pollard is a proven match-winner and one of the greatest flyhalves the Boks have ever produced.
WELLINGTON: The Rugby Championship | 13 September 2025 | 43-10
The Boks | Tries: Kolbe (2), Willemse, Smith, Snyman, Esterhuizen; Conversions: Libbok (5); Penalties: Libbok (1)
The All Blacks | Try: Carter; Conversions: McKenzie (1); Penalties: McKenzie (1)
There was a lot of frenetic energy and discourse a week before this Wellington Test as the Boks attempted to finally claim a victory at Eden Park and snap New Zealand’s decades-long unbeaten record at that famous ground.
It all collapsed in a 24-17 defeat, much to the chagrin of the Boks and the delight of their opponents.
A week later, however, the All Blacks’ joy proved to be a short-lived celebration after the Boks smashed them at the Wellington Regional Stadium. The All Blacks led the encounter 10-7 at half-time after an almighty arm-wrestle during the first 40 minutes, but after returning to the field for the second stanza, the Boks shifted into high gear.
No one could have predicted what would follow: Kolbe secured his brace, Damian Willemse powered over the line, Kwagga Smith scored a sensational try, RG Snyman crossed the whitewash untouched, and André Esterhuizen bulldozed his way over the tryline. Manie Libbok, meanwhile, scored 13 points with his boot.
It remains the heaviest defeat ever inflicted on the All Blacks by the Boks.
SOWETO: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry | 5 September 2026 | 29-24
The Boks | Tries: Arendse, Penalty try, Kriel, Marx; Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2); Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (1)
The All Blacks | Tries: Savea (2), Jordan, Taukei'aho; Conversions: Love (1), McKenzie (1)
Don’t be deceived by the scoreline — the Boks' most recent victory over their Old Foes at FNB Stadium is arguably the Green and Gold’s most brutal triumph under Erasmus.
There was nothing fancy or eloquent about the way the Boks went about their business to grind down the All Blacks; it was a win built on the physical dominance of the pack. After a relentless assault, the All Blacks were not only physically drained, but mentally, too.
Their set-pieces were broken — the Boks schooled them in the scrums and were a constant threat at line-out time — while the hosts also managed to stifle their opponents' attacking flair outside.
The highlight for many would have been the penalty try scored by the Boks, where they cracked the All Blacks' scrum in two to power towards the tryline. Every other expression from the Boks was characterized by that forward dominance.
The Erasmus-era v All Blacks
(includes results as SA director of rugby)
P17 W10 D1 L6 PF397 PA388 Average score: South Africa 23, New Zealand 22