The Springboks were unable to end a near 88-year winless drought at Eden Park in Auckland last Saturday.
Eden Park, New Zealand’s national stadium and the home of rugby in the country, has been a fortress for the All Blacks for 31 years now.
They last lost at the venue against France in 1994 and are now on a 51-Test unbeaten streak having beaten the Springboks 24-17.
Bad news
The bad news for Springbok fans is that South Africa’s record in Wellington, venue of the second Test on Saturday, 13 September, is not much better!
The Springboks have played matches at two stadiums in Wellington since 1921, namely Athletic Park (1921 to 1998) and Wellington Regional Stadium (known today as Sky Stadium) between 2002 and 2019.
The Springboks’ record at Athletic Park reads: Played 7, won 3, lost 3, drawn 1, for a win percentage 42.9%.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| 17 Sep 1921 | New Zealand | Draw 0-0 |
| 14 Aug 1937 | New Zealand | Lost 13-7 |
| 4 Aug 1956 | New Zealand | Won 8-3 |
| 31 July 1965 | New Zealand | Lost 6-3 |
| 29 Aug 1981 | New Zealand | Won 24-12 |
| 23 July 1994 | New Zealand | Lost 13-9 |
| 25 July 1998 | New Zealand | Won 13-3 |
The Springboks have played 11 Tests at Sky Stadium – but only eight of those were against the All Blacks.
South Africa played three Tests at the ground during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, beating Wales and Fiji and losing – unforgettably – 11-9 against Australia in the Test that Springbok fans will never forgive New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence!
The Springboks’ Test record at the venue against New Zealand only reads: Played 8, won 1, lost 6, drawn 1 for a win percentage of 12.5%.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| 20 Jul 2002 | New Zealand | Lost 41-20 |
| 22 Jul 2006 | New Zealand | Lost 35-17 |
| 5 Jul 2008 | New Zealand | Lost 19-8 |
| 17 Jul 2010 | New Zealand | Lost 31-17 |
| 30 Jul 2011 | New Zealand | Lost 40-7 |
| 11 Sep 2011 | Wales | Won 17-16 |
| 17 Sep 2011 | Fiji | Won 49-3 |
| 9 Oct 2011 | Australia | Lost 11-9 |
| 13 Sep 2014 | New Zealand | Lost 14-10 |
| 15 Sep 2018 | New Zealand | Won 36-34 |
| 27 Jul 2019 | New Zealand | Draw 16-16 |
Meanwhile, the Springboks will have a Georgian referee in charge of their Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand in Wellington this Saturday.
Early score prediction for the All Blacks vs Springboks clash in Wellington?
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