The Springboks vs All Blacks 3rd Test is set up to be a nail-biting contest, with the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series delicately poised at 1-1. Whoever comes out on top in Johannesburg cannot lose the four-match series and will have the chance to claim overall victory in next Saturday’s finale in Baltimore, US.
South Africa bounced back from their defeat in the opening game with a 33-26 win in Cape Town last Saturday, as inspirational captain Siya Kolisi returned from injury to lead his country to a vital victory. Cheslin Kolbe was a late addition to the Springboks side after initially being ruled out through injury and the winger delivered a player-of-the-match performance, scoring 18 points with the boot.
Kolbe moves to full-back in South Africa’s only change for this 3rd Test, with Damian Willemse injured and Kurt-Lee Arendse coming into the squad to start on the wing. Manie Libbok is added to the bench, too, but don’t rule out some last-minute alterations from Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, whose eventual squad in Cape Town showed five changes from the one initially announced the Monday before.
New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie has made three changes to his XV, all in the forwards. Hooker Asafo Aumua, lock Sam Darry and flanker Peter Lakai replace Codie Taylor, Fabian Holland and Simon Parker respectively, while Samisoni Taukei’aho and Test debutant Wallace Sititi are on the bench, in for Taylor and Parker. Meanwhile, second row Tupou Vaa’i makes his 50th Test appearance.
The All Blacks have recent experience of winning in Johannesburg, having triumphed 33-16 at Ellis Park in the series opener, and there are more good omens ahead of this clash at FNB Stadium: New Zealand have triumphed on both of their previous visits to the venue, although they were back in 2010 and 2012.
Read on as we explain how to watch Springboks vs All Blacks for free as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry 2026 continues in Johannesburg.
You can watch the South Africa vs New Zealand game free on RugbyPass TV in the US.
The game will also be available to watch for free on ThreeNow in New Zealand on tape-delay at 11.30am NZST on Sunday.
Traveling abroad right now? You need a VPN to watch South Africa vs New Zealand for free as if you were right at home.
A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services, allowing you to watch South Africa vs New Zealand from anywhere in the world. One of our favourites is Proton VPN – it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and comes with up to 70% off.
As alluded to above, the 3rd Test between South Africa and New Zealand is available to live stream for FREE on RugbyPass TV in the US.
RugbyPass TV has live coverage of a range of international rugby, plus has mobile apps (iOS/Android) if you are looking to watch on the go.
Outside of the US? Use a VPN while you’re traveling away from home to unlock your RugbyPass TV stream.
In the UK, the South Africa vs New Zealand 3rd Test is being shown on Sky Sports Action with coverage beginning at 3:55pm.
Sky Sports packages start at £22 per month for existing Sky subscribers and rise to £35 per month for those without a Sky subscription.
You can also watch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry unfold via a NOW Sports membership that carries the Sky Sports channels.
If you’re out of the UK but still want to tune in, Proton VPN will help you access your subscriptions from anywhere.
The South Africa vs New Zealand 3rd Test is exclusive to Stan Sport in Australia.
Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99/month, and gives you access to a range of international rugby as well as football.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like Proton VPN to watch the action as if you were back home.
Fans in New Zealand can watch the South Africa vs New Zealand 3rd Test on Sky Sport NZ, with coverage on the Sky Sport 1 channel.
You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream, with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at NZ$29.99 per day or NZ$59.99 per month.
However, if you can wait a few hours, you can also watch the game for free on ThreeNow, which will show a full replay of South Africa vs New Zealand at 11.30am NZST on Sunday. It’s ideal for those who don’t want to wake up at 3.10am NZST to catch the action live.
Those outside of New Zealand for any part of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour can use Proton VPN to gain access to their home streaming service.
The South Africa vs New Zealand 3rd Test is being shown on SuperSport in South Africa.
SuperSport is the home of live rugby in South Africa, with extensive coverage of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. You’ll need a DStv access package to watch the game, with prices starting at Rs99/month for the streaming version.
Abroad right now? Use Proton VPN to tell your device that you’re back home and you’ll be good to go.
Viewers in Canada can watch the South Africa vs New Zealand 3rd Test on Premier Sports .
A monthly pass costs CA$29.99, but you can also get a six-month pass for CA$79.99 or pay CA$139.99/year for the annual subscription.
If you’re out of Canada but still want to catch the action, you can access your accounts from anywhere with Proton VPN.
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Peter Lakai, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby.
The scheduled South Africa vs New Zealand kick-off time on Saturday, September 5 is 5.10pm SAST local time in Johannesburg, which is 8.10am PT / 11.10am ET / 4.10pm BST.
That’s 1.10am AEST in Australia and 3.10am NZST in New Zealand on Sunday, September 6.
New Zealand still have a superior head-to-head record against South Africa, despite their defeat in the 2nd Test. The countries have contested 112 competitive games, with the All Blacks winning 64 of them and the Springboks triumphing 44 times. Four have ended all-square.
In South Africa, the head-to-head stands at 29-26-1 in favour of the Springboks.
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone’s browser. For example, RugbyPass TV has a dedicated app.
Disclaimer
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The Springboks vs All Blacks 3rd Test is set up to be a nail-biting contest, with the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series delicately poised at 1-1. Whoever comes out on top in Johannesburg cannot lose the four-match series and will have the chance to claim overall victory in next Saturday’s finale…
