D'Arcy Waldegrave: The All Blacks may achieve the seemingly impossible

Author: D'Arcy Waldegrave ,
Publish Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2026, 9:33am

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South Africa Springboks v New Zealand All Blacks, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour. 1st Test Match. Rugby Union. Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. Saturday 22 August 2026. Photo: Ron Gaunt / PHOTOSPORT Tupou Vaa’i.

Standing at the base of El Capitan. A sheer granite face in Yosemite National Park in the US. 2300 meters of near-death experience.

The film Free Solo documented the outrageous ascent of that overwhelming rock face by free climber Alex Hannold. Watch it, it’ll bend your mind. Alex scales the monster unaided. A free climb. No ropes, no fear. No second chance. Climbing shoes and chalk – that’s it.

The All Blacks won’t fall to their deaths if they slip on the face during their ascent of their El Capitan, the scaling of South African rugby.

Every step, every foothold, every crimp, pinch, pocket, or sloper negotiated without fail. One wrong move for a free climber; the game is over.

So far the All Blacks have negotiated their treacherous climb with only the odd misstep or slip. Some loose grips and sketchy holds have left them hanging by chalk coated fingertips, but they have not lost their grip on the face.

Whether this team can continue their climb to the tour’s summit is unknown, but we’ll all be watching, craning our necks to get a good view of what will be a stupendous achievement.

Let us not forget the mass pessimism expressed by the rugby public when this Greatest Rivalry Tour was announced, the fear of inevitable defeat, the remote hope of at least taking one win from the many exchanges. The All Blacks had been faltering, showing an almost expected vulnerability at every turn, with the halcyon days of global domination a dearly held but distant memory of what the All Blacks meant to us. A colossus. An unflinching, merciless and relentless group of men hell bent on conquering all.

Under Dave Rennie, for those who dare to dream, the All Blacks may scale those dizzying heights again.

Unlike free climbing, mistakes aren't punishable with a fatal fall into the yawning emptiness, and although a successful climb in this instance looks as unlikely as a free climb of El Capitan, this seemingly impossible task is looking more likely with every carefully taken step and cautious hold.

Fortune favours the brave.