Springboks v All Blacks: Shock venue tipped to host Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry finale

Tony Johnson, a reputable broadcaster from New Zealand, has intimated that the Allianz Stadium will not host the final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry as many had anticipated. Details of the All Blacks’ eight-game tour of South Africa were eventually made public last week by NZ and SA Rugby.

Scott Robertson’s team will play the Springboks in four Test matches, one of which will be played abroad. Ellis Park, DHL Stadium in Cape Town, and FNB Stadium (previously Soccer City) in Johannesburg will host the first three Test matches, respectively.

However, the union’s statement only mentioned “a landmark fourth Test hosted at a neutral international venue,” without revealing the location of the series’ final match.

Croke Park to host Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry?

Since 2023, the Springboks have played three games at the Allianz Stadium, formerly Twickenham, without facing England. Supporters have prophesied that this will be the final location for the Greatest Rivalry tour.

Ireland has played games there recently while the Aviva Stadium has been under construction, while Leinster has used the field while the RDS Arena is being restored.

The Sky Sports NZ pundit told Martin Devlin on the DSPN podcast, “Well, Twickenham was the talk early on, but I’ve just heard, and I don’t know how much traction there is to this, but the mumblings that I’m hearing is that Croke Park in Dublin is now a possibility.”

That’s merely a rumor that has been going around. Man, that would be a unique moment if that were true. “You have to get permission to do that because there is a lot of history that has happened there, as well as a lot of geopolitical history,” Devlin continued.

Johnson continued: “Absolutely. There was a terrible thing that happened there during the uprising, and for a number of reasons, it was decreed that it would be the headquarters of the GAA, those uniquely Irish games, hurling and Gaelic football.

Furthermore, rugby was never to be practiced there because it was considered a British sport. Naturally, though, as things were kindly considered over time, opinions shifted and softened. When the Aviva was renovated into the great stadium it is today, they needed a somewhere to go, so they came to an agreement. As a result, Ireland played there.

Their first match was a spectacular match against England, and everyone was curious about what to expect. Are there national anthems at all? What are they doing? Additionally, something quite amazing occurred.

It was an honor for me to be able to be in that stadium when the All Blacks, of course, got to go there.

You realize how crucial this is when you walk into the offices and see the pictures hanging on the wall. “Look, if that’s true, it will be an amazing chance to perform at a hallowed venue. It’s more than words like bulwark and fortress; this is sacred.”

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Fearsome Springbok, the “hardest man to defend,” and the best I’ve ever seen make up Juan Brex’s team of my life.

Both teams have only played at Croke Park once each, with the All Blacks winning 22–3 there in 2008, which was Ireland’s biggest loss there. The Springboks were defeated 15–10 a year later.

The remainder of the tour Johnson, who is zoning in on the South Africa tour, is excited to see the All Blacks and Springboks battle it out and cautioned Robertson’s team about the seriousness of the situation that lies ahead.

Don’t undervalue how difficult it will be to play those Test matches against such a formidable South African squad during the course of the remaining tour, the four URC teams, and the Test matches. He went on, “They are taking on something that is really, really tough, really grueling.”

“South African tours have always been difficult, but this is going to be a real challenge, especially given the current strength of the Springboks,”