Kicking is so often the difference in big tournaments and matches. Indeed, who could forget Springbok flyhalf Morné Steynâs late penalty goal against the British & Irish Lions in the second and decisive Test of the 2009 series, or Steynâs winning strike against the same team about 12 years later?

The 105-year-old rivalry between the Boks and the All Blacks has been shaped by such moments.

Joel Stranskyâs drop goal in the 1995 World Cup final is remembered as one of the most important kicks in rugby history â although fewer fans may recall that All Blacks flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens missed a potential winner on the stroke of full-time.

In 2019, flyhalf Handré Pollard slotted a late conversion to secure a draw against the All Blacks in Wellington â a kick and result that went a long way towards securing the Boksâ first Rugby Championship title in a decade.

Four years later, Pollard nailed 13 consecutive goals over the course of the 2023 World Cup, a streak that included four penalties in the final against New Zealand.

Pollardâs effort is remembered as an influential and ultimately title-winning performance, although All Blacks fans may recall Jordie Barrettâs missed penalty attempt in the 73rd minute of the decider, and how South Africa hung on for a 12-11 victory.

The list of narrative-shaping goals and misses goes on. The All Blacks outscored the Boks by four tries to three in the first match of the 2024 Freedom Cup, yet two missed conversions by flyhalf Damian McKenzieâs proved game-costing in a 31-27 defeat.

In the Freedom Cup series decider staged a week later, McKenzie pushed three penalty attempts wide, and the Boks went on to win 18-12 and lift the title for the first time in 15 years.

The more things change...

The game is changing, and the Boks are leading the revolution.

Last season, Rassie Erasmusâs charges averaged 41 points and 5.8 tries over the course of 14 Tests.

More recently, the Boks thrashed England, Scotland and Wales to finish the first phase of the Nations Championship with the best points-difference in the competition (+81), and their superiority was highlighted by the fact that the next-best team â the All Blacks â trailed by 30 points.

The current laws favour attacking rugby, and as a result, leading teams are spurning kickable penalties and striving for a five- or seven-point reward.

While it may seem like the role of a specialist goal-kicker has diminished with the decline in penalty goals, a sharpshooter remains integral to the âmaximum pointsâ strategy, for obvious mathematical reasons.

The need for a clutch kicker in the big tournaments and series will never change. Given all weâve seen in recent seasons, we should expect a relatively high-scoring tussle between the Boks and All Blacks in the coming Tests, and has been the case for much of this storied rivalry, the kickers may prove the difference between victory and defeat.

Options beyond Pollard

Since the decorated flyhalf Dan Carter hung up his boots in late 2015 the All Blacks have lacked a reliable kicker with the ability to build scoreboard pressure and nail match-winning goals.

There was a period between 2016 and 2017 where the absence of a sharpshooter was largely irrelevant, as the All Blacks racked up big scores against their closest rivals. But in the tighter fixtures staged in more recent times, New Zealand have been found wanting, as the likes of McKenzie, Jordie and Beauden Barrett have missed crucial kicks.

The All Blacks have travelled to South Africa ahead of the inaugural Greatest Rivalry series with an interesting mix of flyhalf and kicking options.

Ruben Love is the favourite to wear the No 10 jersey in the Test series and â given his 79% success rate across the three Nations Championship Tests â likely to kick for goal.

Whether the 25-year-old can deliver under pressure in a high-stakes fixture remains to be seen. Love has made just eight appearances for the All Blacks and is yet to play a Test in South Africa. In short, his quality and mettle as a goal-kicker at this level is yet to be truly tested.

Meanwhile, Bok coach Erasmus has made some progress with his goal-kicking project over the past three seasons. The Boks peaked with 572 points scored in 2025, and itâs interesting to note how Erasmusâs team achieved its highest goal-kicking success rate (80%) during the same period.

Pollard remains the Boksâ most reliable kicker in this World Cup cycle, and has achieved a 96% success rate since the start of the 2025 season. The veteran will add value to the squad ahead of the Tests against the All Blacks, and at next yearâs global tournament in Australia.

Over the past two seasons, however, Erasmus has attempted to develop a reliable alternative to Pollard, with six different kickers used across 17 Tests.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was the preferred No 10 in 2025, as well as South Africaâs most-used goal kicker.

The 24-year-old remains a work in progress, though, as his 75% success rate suggests â and there hasnât been a moment in his 19-Test career where one goal kick has decided a match. Like Love, Feinberg-Mngomezulu may get the chance to prove himself in this respect later this month.

Few would argue that the Boks were at their best in 2025 when Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok were part of the matchday 23. Attack and game management aside, Libbok has had his own goal-kicking challenges, which has forced Erasmus to ask one of the Boksâ most important players in Cheslin Kolbe to shoulder additional responsibilities.

Kolbe has taken the challenge in his stride. Over the course of the recent club season in Japan the Bok utility back served as Suntory Sungoliathâs first-choice kicker and finished the campaign with a league-leading haul of 205 points.

More recently, Kolbe slotted nine out of 11 kicks in the warm-up against the Barbarians in Gqeberha, and five from seven in the Test against England in Johannesburg. Kolbeâs club and Test performances should serve as a statement â he is more than a part-timer and can be trusted with the kicking duties in bigger matches.

Four-Test selection puzzle

Erasmus has spoken about rotating his team during a demanding four-Test series against the All Blacks, and with that management strategy in mind, one can understand why he would need more than one goal kicker to contribute to the cause.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Libbok remain integral to South Africaâs attacking approach, and in time the former may develop into one of the gameâs greatest goal kickers.

As the series unfolds and the stakes rise, Erasmus may find a place in matchday 23 for Pollard, who like Steyn before him, is a proven match winner.

In the event of injuries, the kicking tee may well be thrown to Kolbe. The 32-year-old has already shaped World Cup finals and decisive Lions Tests with his try-scoring exploits and defensive interventions, and will certainly add to his legacy if he clinches the Greatest Rivalry series via a crucial conversion or penalty.

The Boks will start as favourites, but the four Tests and the series result may be a lot closer than expected.

At a glance, it appears that South Africa are better equipped to win the big moments, and to deliver the telling blow when the opportunity arises. DM