Retired referee Nigel Owens has ignited a social media debate about the All Blacks and the Springboks that doesn\u2019t involve the standard of officiating in last Saturday\u2019s Rugby Championship match.<\/p>\n
Georgian Nika Amashukeli oversaw the Round Four fixture in Wellington that resulted in a record-breaking 43-10 win<\/a> for Rassie Erasmus\u2019 South Africa<\/a> over Scott Robertson\u2019s New Zealand<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> in Auckland and the Springboks against the Pumas in Durban.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll let you X debate\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Owens wrote: \u201cJust caught up with the TRC. Great games. Well done, all involved.<\/p>\n \u201cSA 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\u2019ll let you X debate.\u201d<\/p>\n Owens\u2019 teaser<\/a>, which has so far had nearly 80,000 views, certainly exercised rugby fans and below are a sample of the replies the retired ref\u2019s post received:<\/p>\n @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\u2019t even close.<\/p>\n @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).<\/p>\n Conor Murray issues \u2018feck you, Rassie\u2019 response to \u2018dig at me\u2019 Munster video room incident involving \u2018proper club player\u2019 Billy Vunipola<\/a><\/p>\n Loose Pass: Rassie Erasmus went \u2018into the laager\u2019 as \u2018generational\u2019 Springboks performance blows away \u2018spent\u2019 All Blacks<\/a><\/p>\n @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\u2019t consider the 2023 RWC final result, which was very controversial, SA wouldn\u2019t come close to them.<\/p>\n @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.<\/p>\n @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.<\/p>\n @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\u2019s the Boks.<\/p>\n All Blacks fans blame Nelson Mandela and Buck Shelford\u2019s \u2018testicles\u2019 for record Springboks defeat<\/a><\/p>\n Ex-All Black hails \u2018mature\u2019 Springboks approach as Rassie Erasmus\u2019 men sacrifice desire to \u2018absolutely dismantle\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n @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\u2019s getting close, though.<\/p>\n @jrodbourn: This SA team is comfortably behind the ABs of 2011-15. Not even close.<\/p>\n @CalvinVanNike: It has to be this Springbok team. Haven\u2019t seen a team play as complete rugby as this.<\/p>\n @njpnoway: Bok team has a better scrum \u2013 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.<\/p>\n