The China Mail - Back to the future as world champion Springboks host All Blacks

The All Blacks play the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls franchises before the first Test in Johannesburg on August 22, then the Lions franchise.

From August 29 to September 12 it is exclusively Tests between the teams ranked first and second in the world, with Cape Town, Johannesburg and American city Baltimore the battlegrounds.

The tour pits nations that have won seven of the 10 Rugby World Cup tournaments between them, including the last four with the All Blacks, then the Springboks, winning back-to-back titles.

It was 30 years ago that the giants were last involved in an extended tour, which New Zealand won 2-1 for their lone series success in six attempts in South Africa.

Branded the 'Greatest Rivalry', the tours will be staged every four years with New Zealand playing hosts in 2030.

The tour led to the cancellation this year of the Rugby Championship, the annual six-round southern hemisphere event held between August and October, with Australia and Argentina.

South Africa will play one-off Tests against Argentina, this Saturday in Buenos Aires, and Australia in Perth on September 27.

Despite the excitement of four Tests within 22 days, the 'Greatest Rivalry' has also sparked criticism, particularly concerning ticket prices and the Baltimore Test.

Although the most popular national team in a country where football attracts the greatest interest, the Springboks failed to fill stadiums for three July Nations Championship matches.

There were 10,000 empty seats against England in Johannesburg, 5,000 when Scotland visited Pretoria, and 10,000 against Wales in Durban.

The All Blacks are the most popular visitors, though, and the first two Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town have reportedly been sold out.

- 'Absolutely perfect' -

Ticket purchases for the England Test rose sharply only after prices were reduced. Originally, the best seats cost 3,000 rand ($185) in a country experiencing a cost-of-living crisis.

By the Durban Test, the prime seats had been reduced to 1,800 rand ($110). The South African Rugby Union (SARU) have promised a ticket prices review before next season.

Taking the last Test to the east coast of the United States has triggered criticism, including from the South African media and a former All Black.

Wing Jeff Wilson toured South Africa with the All Blacks 30 years ago and believes the 'Greatest Rivalry' would have been perfect if one week shorter.

"The three Tests in South Africa would have been perfect. Absolutely perfect. You are guaranteed to get a result. We did not need a fourth Test," he told a New Zealand TV show.

SARU chief executive Rian Oberholzer said commercial and strategic considerations influenced the decision to play in Baltimore.

"To create financial stability we must take our brand beyond South Africa. America is a very important market leading up to 2031, when the World Cup will be staged there," he said.

Coaches Rassie Erasmus of South Africa and Dave Rennie of New Zealand have given little away so far when quizzed about the Test series.

"We have not done a lot of analysing when it comes to the All Blacks. The squad for the 'Greatest Rivalry' will be announced only after we play Argentina this weekend," said Erasmus.

Rennie, who took charge in March, said: "We are well aware of the task ahead. Rassie has done a phenomenal job."

South Africa enter the series having won 11 straight Tests. The Springboks have also triumphed in five of the last six clashes with the All Blacks, including a 43-10 drubbing in Wellington.

B.Clarke--ThChM