World champions South Africa will take on arch nemesis New Zealand in a test at Twickenham on the eve of next year’s World Cup, SA Rugby announced on Monday.

The clash on Friday, Aug. 25 will come a fortnight before the tournament kicks off in France and is only the second time the two giants of world rugby have met in London, following their tense 2015 World Cup semi-final which the All Blacks won 20-18 at Twickenham before going onto take the trophy.

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The Springboks, who won the last World Cup in Japan in 2019, have already announced a warm-up test against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, Aug. 19 before they begin the defence of their title with Pool B games against Scotland, Romania, Ireland and Tonga.

New Zealand open the World Cup against hosts France on Sept. 8, and then also take on Namibia, Italy and Uruguay in Pool A.

“The Springboks and All Blacks share one of the greatest rivalries in rugby, and to face them at Twickenham will be an exciting experience for the players and our fans,” SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said in a statement.

“The match will take place shortly before we kick off our World Cup campaign, and both this encounter and the test against Wales will be vital for us to measure ourselves before the competition and to put the final building in blocks in place so that we can enter the showpiece in the desired form,” he added.

Photo by EPA/KIM LUDBROOK