Can the first Springboks v All Blacks Test live up to its Greatest Rivalry billing?<\/p>\n
Watch South Africa v New Zealand as the two top-ranked sides in the men\u2019s game kick off their eagerly anticipated Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry<\/a> Test series in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n Both sides come into the match on great form, having 100% records in their respective Nations Championship<\/a> campaigns. Now head coaches Rassie Erasmus<\/a> and Dave Rennie<\/a> will both be out to prove they\u2019re the best of the best, in an epic four-Test series \u2013 the first between the two sides since 1996.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s hotly anticipated clash kicks off at 4.10pm BST \/ 5.10pm SAST \/ 3.10am (Sunday) NZST, and you can watch Springboks v All Blacks live streams for free in the US, in addition to many other viewing options around the world. We\u2019ll tell you everything you need to know to tune in below \u2013 including details of how you can use a VPN<\/a> to watch the match from anywhere. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a match preview.<\/p>\n Springboks v All Blacks First Test: at a glance<\/p>\n \u2013 South Africa v New Zealand First Test date: Saturday 22 August 2026<\/p>\n \u2013 South Africa v New Zealand First Test kick-off time: 4.10pm BST \/ 5.10pm SAST (local) \/ 3.10am NZST (Sunday) \/ 1.10am AEST (Sunday) \/ 5.10pm CET \/ 11.10am EDT \/ 8.10am PDT<\/p>\n \u2013 South Africa v New Zealand First Test venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg<\/p>\n \u2013 South Africa v New Zealand First Test free stream: RugbyPass TV<\/a> (US)<\/p>\n \u2013 Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free<\/a><\/p>\n How to watch South Africa v New Zealand in the US \u2013 live stream First Test for free<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good weekend to be a rugby fan in the US because you can watch the best two sides in the planet in action for FREE on World Rugby\u2019s RugbyPass TV<\/a>. It\u2019s free to use but you will need to register before you can watch your Springboks v All Blacks live stream.<\/p>\n Kick-off is at 11.10am EDT \/ 8.10am PDT this morning.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re away from home this weekend, a VPN<\/a> can help you watch your usual South Africa v New Zealand live stream as if you were back at home. Find out more below\u2026<\/p>\n Watch Springboks v All Blacks from anywhere<\/p>\n Feeling like you\u2019ve picked the wrong Saturday to go on vacation? There\u2019s no need to miss out on one of the rugby events of the year, because \u2013 even if you\u2019re in an entirely different country \u2013 you can still watch your usual South Africa v New Zealand live streams from anywhere. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to change your IP address, meaning you can avoid geo-blocking restrictions and watch the Greatest Rivalry action as if you were sitting at home on your sofa.<\/p>\n The tech experts at TechRadar<\/a> and Tom\u2019s Guide<\/a> both rate NordVPN as the best on the planet, thanks to its top-notch ability to unblock streaming services and security features.<\/p>\n South Africa v New Zealand live streams in the UK and Ireland<\/p>\n Sky Sports\u2019 new deal with SANZAAR runs until 2030, and gives it the rights to show all of the Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry matches.<\/p>\n The First Test kicks off at 4.10pm BST this afternoon and is available on both Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports+.<\/p>\n There are plenty of ways for Sky Sports subscribers to watch All Blacks v Springboks live streams, including the Sky Go app for desktop, iOS, Android, PlayStation and Xbox. You can check out the latest Sky Sports subscription offers at the Sky website<\/a> \u2013 prices currently start at \u00a322 per month.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather avoid a longer contract (or just want to watch specific Greatest Rivalry games), Now Sports<\/a> offers daily (\u00a314.99) and monthly (starting from \u00a328) plans to stream Sky Sports channels online.<\/p>\n Watch Springboks v All Blacks in South Africa<\/p>\n As is usually the case for elite rugby, SuperSport has the rights for this massive Springboks match. South Africa v New Zealand kicks off at 5.10pm SAST.<\/p>\n You can get SuperSport on your TV via DStv, or you can stream online. There are various SuperSport packages<\/a> available, so have a look at what works best for you.<\/p>\n Stream Springboks v All Blacks in New Zealand<\/p>\n Sky Sport NZ<\/a> has the New Zealand rights to the Greatest Rivalry tour, along with plenty more world-class sporting action, including the start of the new Premier League soccer season.<\/p>\n You can subscribe to Sky Sport Now<\/a> from $59.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.<\/p>\n South Africa v New Zealand gets underway at 3.10am NZST on Sunday, so get ready for a very late night or an even earlier morning.<\/p>\n Every Greatest Rivalry game will also be available for free on a delay via Three and the ThreeNow<\/a> streaming service, though you\u2019ll have to wait until 11am NZST (Sunday) to relive this First Test.<\/p>\n Other ways to watch South Africa v New Zealand around the world<\/p>\n Australia: The Wallabies will be playing both of these sides after the Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry tour is done, and fans in Australia need to head to Stan Sport<\/a> for Springboks v All Blacks live streams. A Stan Sport subscription costs $20 per month on top of a standard Stan plan (for which prices start at $9.99 per month). Kick-off is 1.10am AEST on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n Canada: Premier Sports<\/a> is the place to go if you want to watch South Africa v New Zealand live streams in Canada. A monthly pass costs CA$29.99, though you can make big savings with a six-month pass (CA$79.99) or an annual subscription ($139.99). Kick-off is at 11.10am EDT \/ 8.10am PDT this morning.<\/p>\n Springboks v All Blacks match preview<\/p>\n Even without that self-proclaimed, slightly over-the-top \u201cRugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry\u201d billing, this game would need no additional hype. The top two sides in world rugby haven\u2019t played a full Test series in South Africa since the All Blacks triumphed against the then-world champions in 1996. This four-Test saga therefore has the potential to be the biggest thing in rugby between now and next year\u2019s World Cup in Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus\u2019s player pool is so stacked with resources that it\u2019s hard to know what his first choice side is. Today\u2019s line-up comes pretty close, however, as the head coach looks to extend his 12-game winning streak. Talismanic skipper Siya Kolisi<\/a> is still absent with injury, but elsewhere there\u2019s plenty for the visitors to fear.<\/p>\n Any pack featuring the experience of Ox Nch\u00e9<\/a>, Malcolm Marx<\/a>, Wilco Louw, Eben Etzebeth<\/a> and Pieter-Steph du Toit<\/a> (who captains in Kolisi\u2019s absence) is going to be the stuff of opposition nightmares, while a backline including Cheslin Kolbe<\/a>, Jesse Kriel<\/a> and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will give defences plenty to think about.<\/p>\n The All Blacks, meanwhile, have comfortably won their tour matches against the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls, but know facing the Springboks will require taking their game to another level. After experimenting with his side against the URC teams \u2013 and giving his younger players some much needed experience of rugby in South Africa \u2013 Dave Rennie has wheeled out the big guns for his first game against the Springboks.<\/p>\n Three of his most important stars are making their first Greatest Rivalry tour appearances, with record All Blacks try scorer Will Jordan<\/a> back on the wing, Cam Roigard selected at scrum-half, and captain Ardie Savea<\/a> picked at number eight. Ruben Love continues at fly-half, behind a forward pack that knows it\u2019s in for a very tricky day at the office.<\/p>\n Download the digital edition<\/a>\u00a0of Rugby World straight to your tablet or\u00a0subscribe to the print edition<\/a>\u00a0to get the magazine delivered to your door.<\/p>\n Follow Rugby World on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>.<\/p>\n We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:<\/p>\n 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).<\/p>\n 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.<\/p>\n We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t