All Blacks WILL gain revenge on Boks, say bookies

Cape Town - The All Blacks will exact revenge on the Springboks in their Rugby Championship showdown at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, if bookmakers are to be believed...

READ: Sport24 chats to NZ commentator Tony Johnson

The Boks shocked their New Zealand rivals - and the rugby world - when they held on for a 36-34 victory earlier in the tournament in Wellington.

Despite the loss, the All Blacks have already been crowned 2018 champions - their sixth title in the seven years the Rugby Championship has been contested.

However, Saturday's clash is by no means a dead rubber and has thrown up some interesting stats and milestones.

The Boks will be looking for back-to-back wins over the All Blacks for the first time since 2009, while the All Blacks haven't lost at Loftus in 48 years.

Rewind a year and a similar scenario played out at Newlands in Cape Town.

The All Blacks had already wrapped up the title and were on the final stop of their around the world trip having flown from New Zealand to Australia to Argentina on to South Africa.

Yet, despite what was one of the better Bok performances under then coach Allister Coetzee, a moment of Damian McKenzie magic coupled with a late red card to Damian de Allende saw the All Blacks sneak home 25-24 victors.

This time around, despite the same flight pattern, one gets the feeling the All Blacks are smarting for revenge and will welcome the hard and fast Loftus field and have dismissed all talk of a "meaningless, dead Test".

And leading bookies Sportingbet suggest Steve Hansen's men will be successful in that quest for revenge and to lay down a marker less than 12 months out from next year's Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Sportingbet have installed the All Blacks as 11-point handicap favourites and 1/4 for the outright victory.

The Boks can be backed at 7/2, while the draw is on offer at 25/1.

Kick-off is at 17:05.

READ: 50-up for Willie le Roux as Boks name side to face All Blacks

Teams:

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Francois Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse

New Zealand

15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Karl Tu'inukuafe

Substitutes: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Tim Perry, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Richie Mo'unga, 23 Ryan Crotty