Pressure is on at Eden Park

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: ALL BLACKS AND SPRINGBOKS DESPERATE TO FIND THEIR BEST FORM

- Ross Roche

An epic at Eden Park between the top two ranked teams in world rugby should usually be a mouthwatering prospect for not just the fans of the Springboks and All Blacks, but also neutrals around the world.

But a nervy encounter between two teams desperate for a morale-boosting win could be on the cards, and might slightly dampen what has been an eagerly anticipated match-up for months now.

Since the All Blacks were stunned by Ireland 2-1 during their three-game home series in 2022, they have lost quite a bit of their "invincibility aura" that they have carried ever since rugby turned professional in 1995.

That series loss came during a run that saw the All Blacks lose six out of eight games, between the end of November 2021, when they lost to Ireland and France on their end-of-year tour, and August 2022, when they went down to Argentina at home.

That put previous coach Ian Foster's job under immense pressure, and almost led to him being replaced before the 2023 World Cup, but they managed to turn things around, winning 15, losing two and drawing one of their next 18 matches.