All Blacks assistant coach Mike Blair said, “You could argue the series would be won by whoever wins this game, because those are the three games in South Africa.

“We’re seeing it like that, as being a really important game for us.

“If you win this one, then you’re not losing the series, so it puts you in the driving seat.”

Blair said the New Zealanders had quickly turned around their disappointment at their 26-33 loss in Cape Town.

“Guys were down about the result, but you can’t afford to be down for too long. We know we’ve got this Test match and another Test match afterwards, so you can’t wallow for too long.”

Part of their preparation is focused on developing their kicking game, an area where they lacked control and direction in Cape Town.

They failed to breach South Africa’s defence with their kick strategy, with contestable kicks becoming a lottery.

“I’m not going to explain too deeply because we want to use it as a strategy with the two games left, but I’ve talked before about how you use the kicking game to destructure a defence by having variety in your kicking game.

“It’s an area we want to continue working on.”

So far as another early announcement of the Springboks team for Soweto, it was a case of ‘Once bitten, twice shy’ for the All Blacks.

After the late change to South Africa’s starting XV for the second Test in Cape Town, a move pilloried in the rugby world for being against the spirit of the game, Blair said the New Zealanders were concentrating on their game.

Blair said, “You take notice of it, but you take it with a pinch of salt as well.

“Listening to what he said after the second Test about how he changed the team around depending on the weather, it shows that they’ve got the capability of doing that.

“[The selection] gives us an idea of what they might be thinking, but we’re not going to spend huge amounts of time planning for a certain individual in a certain position when we’re pretty aware that that can change right up until kick-off.

“We understand the South African DNA in terms of their game, how they defend.

“A lot of the individuals coming to that will fit within that system, so we prepare for the team’s ethos as opposed to the individuals.”

The prize is too valuable, and a win in the third Test is the key to a series win.

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has made only one change, forced by the injury to fullback Damian Willemse, with Cheslin Kolbe starting at the back and Kurt-Lee Arendse coming in on the wing.

Erasmus said, “This game is going to be equally, if not more, intense than the last two.

“With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field.

“But make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the top two teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series.”

Speaking to the selection for the Test, Erasmus said: “It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series, and we thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan and what we wanted to achieve.

“Unfortunately, Damian Willemse took a knock in the first half and was not available for selection this weekend, and neither was Handre Pollard, and by sticking to these combinations, and making one switch with Cheslin [Kolbe] at fullback, we thought it would be the best for this match.

“Kurt-Lee [Arendse] was unlucky not to play last week after Cheslin recovered from his niggle, so we are pleased to see him back. He is a quality player, and his 25 tries in 33 matches so far show the type of player he is.

The Springbok team is: 1.Ox Nche, 2.Malcolm Marx, 3.Wilco Louw, 4.Eben Etzebeth, 5.Ruan Nortje, 6.Siya Kolisi (captain), 7.Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8.Jasper Wiese, 9.Cobus Reinach, 10.Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11.Ethan Hooker, 12.Damian de Allende, 13.Jesse Kriel, 14.Kurt-Lee Arendse, 15.Cheslin Kolbe.

Substitutes: 16.Deon Fourie, 17.Gerhard Steenkamp, 18.Thomas du Toit, 19.Lood de Jager, 20.Andre Esterhuizen, 21.Cameron Hanekom, 22.Morne van den Berg, 23.Manie Libbok.

The Springboks squared the four-Test series with a 33-26 win over the All Blacks in Cape Town.

Erasmus changed from his first-string selection of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw to Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit shortly before the start of the game.

He claimed he made the change because the forecast wet weather in Cape Town had not occurred.

Ryan responded to the taunts by saying it wasn’t Erasmus that was in his head, but the All Blacks forward pack was.

“Traditionally, when we’ve played South Africa, if a team’s been named at the start of the week, there are often changes at the back end of the week.

“They kept the same ones, they just reversed them with starting and finishing. So we’d prepared for them either way around.”

Ryan said the taunts were all part of the theatre surrounding Test rugby.

“It’s a bit of friendly fire, isn’t it? There’s been some interesting comments made in the media and that sort of thing, but that’s the pressure of Test footy.”

Given Erasmus’ post-Test comments about All Blacks claims regarding the Springboks’ scrum, it may be the South Africans who the comments have caught out.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie took his concerns about South Africa’s first Test scrum tactics to World Rugby and may have more to present after the second Test.

Rennie said in Cape Town, “It’s still a bit of an issue for us because they’re able to walk around and go straight through our tightheads. So, a couple of little technical things that we’ll share again.”

Erasmus blew up when commenting on Rennie’s claims that the Springboks were walking around.

“It’s the first time in history that these people are talking about us walking around. So why would we want to start walking around now?

“Don’t come with that nonsense and say we’re walking around, and try and put things out in the media.

“We’re not f..king walking around. We scrum through. We’ve never, ever, been accused of walking around, so I don’t understand.”

Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast that he believed the All Blacks were lucky in how Australian referee Angus Gardner controlled the scrums.

“I felt that Angus Gardner didn’t want to have to adjudicate who was dominant in that area of the game.

“He wanted it to be a set piece that was just a restart in the game. If a team managed to get the ball to the No8, even if that front row just pancaked and went to ground – which is illegal, you’ve got to stay on your feet.

“The All Blacks were lucky with that. They were probably able to probably avoid three or four penalties in that area of the game.”

Mallett said Erasmus’ tactical options in changing the front rows were ‘classic Rassie.’

But the All Blacks’ starting front row had held the lighter South African combination.

“In the first half they scrummed well. There was a lot of parity there. They didn’t really get on top of us, but we didn’t get on top of them either.

“That set the tone for Gardner. He thought, ‘OK, fantastic, now it’s a game where I won’t have to take some really tough decisions here.’”

But that changed when Erasmus introduced his first-string front row with five minutes left in the first half.

“When they came on there was a real difference in momentum…At the end of the game, [Gardner] just wanted that scrum – the team that put it in, get the ball away and let’s move on.

“It took away what has always been a weapon of ours. There were a number of scrums in that game where we could double-shove and we could have gone, but we weren’t given the reward.”

He said it would be interesting to see how Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli, who was supposed to referee the game but stood down due to illness, approached the scrums in the weekend’s third Test in Soweto.

For that game, South Africa will be without fullback Damian Willemse, who suffered a hamstring injury late in the Cape Town Test.

The third Test will be played in Soweto next weekend.

Despite the loss, Rennie said he was proud of how the All Blacks responded.

“We were under the pump at various times and showed a lot of character and fight to stay in that game, and could have stolen a draw right at the end.

“They started well, and we left a couple of opportunities out in the park in the first half.

“They spent a lot of time down our end of the field; they got a lot of their high ball stuff back, so that was a big part of the game.

“They were able to slow a bit of our ball down, and we didn’t quite get the sort of continuity we needed at times.

“But we created a lot, so there’re these little elements that will need to be better. We’ll bounce back next week.”

There were more lineouts than usual, and South Africa picked off some of the All Blacks’ ball in that department.

“A couple of those were a little bit scrappy. They had a pretty good plan. We’ve got to be able to adjust to how they’re defending our lineout, so that’s a work-on.”

Captain Ardie Savea said they can’t afford to let South Africa get the type of fast start they had in Cape Town.

Savea said he enjoyed the way the All Blacks responded and he loves the tight moments.

“The boys hung in there and almost stole the game away. But we’ve got to fix up little errors in our game and not let the Springboks get into our 22 or rack up points in threes to put pressure on us. We’ll get back to the drawing board on Monday and bounce back.”

Rennie said the changes made by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to the South African front row just before the game did not have any bearing on the All Blacks’ approach.

“When you name a team on Monday, there’s a chance there’s going to be changes. We paid minimal attention to the team on Monday because of that.

“The scrums were better tonight. Angus [Gardner-referee] was pretty strong around setting a mark and then trying to keep the hookers in the same sort of spacing. And if the Springboks moved further across left, he stopped them.

“We’ll give a bit of feedback around that. It’s still a bit of an issue for us because they’re able to walk around and go straight through our tighthead. But, in the end, both teams were able to play off the scrums so he did a reasonable job there.”

Rennie said there was still work to be done in preventing South Africa from slowing their ball down, while they needed more work in dealing with ball being kicked to them.

The South Africans’ superiority in retaining possession gave their game more continuity and put pressure on New Zealand.

“If we can deal with that, they kick a lot of ball to you, and then you get a lot of opportunities from a counter-attack point of view.

“It’s small margins. For all the pressure we were under, we lost by seven.

“What we know is we can create opportunities, we can score, so we need to be clinical and deny them opportunities down our end of the field and deal with that ball in the air.”

But the kicking game was an area where the Springboks were the best in the world, and there will be more coming next week.

“The exciting thing is that when we deal with it, we do get rewards from it.

“We did a lot of good things tonight, but when you play the world champions, you’ve got to be clinical more often, and we left two or three [tries] out there, which, in the end, is the difference.

After losing the first Test at Ellis Park, the South African response was everything expected, and the All Blacks lacked the assurance they had a week earlier.

Kolbe knocked the All Blacks with his four penalty goals, three of them South Africa’s only points of the second half, and three conversions for 18 points, which proved crucial as the All Blacks outscored South Africa in the try count 4-3.

The All Blacks enjoyed 57 percent possession while achieving eight line breaks to five and making 154 carries to 104. But those advantages were reduced by determined South African defence. With New Zealand making 246 passes compared to 93 by South Africa, the Springboks had to make 188 tackles, missing 39, compared to 122 tackles by the All Blacks, with 26 misses.

In contrast, the All Blacks achieved greater parity at the scrum, claiming 100 per cent of their ball while South Africa managed only 75 per cent.

Despite the revived South African spirit, the All Blacks ended the game with a slight chance to secure a draw.

Four minutes from time, the All Blacks got within seven points. They again had the benefit of getting wing Will Jordan to space for a run at the corner. He was tackled, but the ball was moved back across the field where flanker and captain Ardie Savea was able to score, with support from replacement lock Patrick Tuipulotu driving him over the line.

Into the last minute, replacement lock Lood de Jager was sin-binned for a head-on-head contact on wing Leroy Carter.

In the last act of the game, the All Blacks cleared the ball to near halfway for a lineout, and while probing for openings, a key turnover at a tackle on Jordan by replacement Andre Esterhuizen was enough for the Springboks to get the win.

Clever use of their bench, with the first substitutions made just before half-time when hooker Malcolm Marx was introduced, helped the Springboks freshen their side at key stages through the second half. By comparison, the All Blacks did not get the same benefits from their changes.

South Africa made a storming start, scoring in the first minute after employing the power of their lineout maul to take play deep into the 22m area, and when the ball was released for the backs, centre Jesse Kriel cut through to score.

Unsettled, the All Blacks probed for openings at every chance, but it wasn’t until the 15th minute that they were rewarded. From a lineout, the ball was played off the back and moved with both five-eighths Ruben Love and Jordie Barrett using double pumps to draw in the defence before they got the ball to wing Will Jordan, who beat two defenders before passing in to halfback Cam Roigard, who was in support to score.

But three minutes later, the penalty issues that afflicted the All Blacks throughout the game were punished when wing Cheslin Kolbe landed the first of his four penalty goals.

Then, from the restart, the Springboks got back into the All Blacks’ 22m area and built their pressure game again with effect, and it was second five-eighths Damian de Allende who scored.

The All Blacks were more settled and built their chances. Again, off a lineout move, No8 Ardie Savea charged onto a ball from Roigard to run into space. The All Blacks worked the ball through the line where and fullback Damian McKenzie used his speed to run in the try.

With three points between the sides, it wasn’t until three minutes from half-time that, under penalty pressure, the Springboks extended their lead when, from a lineout play, they worked the ball across the field for skipper and flanker Siya Kolisi to run in the try and secure a 24-14 advantage.

That was further extended when Kolbe landed penalty goals in the 48th and 50th minutes.

Crossing the 60-minute mark, the All Blacks produced some of their best continuity play; a 14-phase play and a resulting penalty took them close to the line, only for lock Eben Etzebeth to steal the lineout for South Africa to clear.

However, a well-taken Springboks box kick was taken by Jordan, who ran ahead to set up the ruck which the All Blacks used to move the ball back across the field, and on the end of the line wing Leroy Carter was given room to wind up his sprint and race his way over for a 65th-minute try.

Scorers: South Africa 33 (Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Siya Kolisi tries; Cheslin Kolbe 3 con, 4pen) New Zealand 26 (Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie, Leroy Carter, Ardie Savea tries; Ruben Love 3 con). HT: 24-14

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has adapted his selection to cope with the anticipated Springbok onslaught, with Simon Parker on the blindside of the scrum, and Tupou Vaa’i moving to lock for the injured Josh Lord, and wing Leroy Carter replacing Josh Moorby.

The Springboks have had a potential setback with first five-eighths Handre Pollard suffering a calf strain.

Rennie said the All Blacks selectors had some points to consider after the midweek win over the Lions, but they have gone with a fresh team that trained together during the week, with five of the players on the bench having time against the Lions.

All of the All Blacks’ camp are aware of the anticipated Springbok response.

“We’re well aware that the Springboks at their best are tough to beat anywhere. We’ve talked a lot about us being better, and we think we can be a lot better than we were last weekend.

“That’s the key, we’ve got to be able to lift our level.”

Being better in the contact area, especially when the Springboks are fresh, which makes it hard to get go-forward, and discipline in avoiding soft penalties were two areas for improvement.

Their scrum concerns had been passed to World Rugby.

“We think scrum wise we will be a lot better.”

“If they’re forced to scrum square, not allowed to step sideways and walk around us then we’ll be able to stay in front of that and get footy going off that.”

He said South Africa would try and do their job better than last week. He expects them to attack the All Blacks at set pieces, put more ball in the air, put a big defensive wall in front of them and spend as much time in New Zealand’s 22 as they can.

The change on the wing from Josh Moorby to Leroy Carter was based on Carter’s better defence.

Moving Tupou Vaa’i to lock and playing Simon Parker would not affect Vaa’i continuing to play his game on the flank, because Parker would be involved in the middle of the park.

“That’s where Simon’s excellent with a lot of the hard stuff, defending and cleaning out, which will still leave Tupou to play his role as a six.

“Simon suits us playing the Africans and it’s been a big part of the reason why we brought him in late last week, and he was excellent. He gives us a bit of size at six. And we’ve got a little bit of X factor on the bench that we can change late in the game.”

Rennie said the change in referee, due to Nika Amashukeli’s illness, to Angus Gardner was not a concern.

“Angus was going to be involved on the edge anyway so they’ve been having discussions based on, I imagine, things that South Africa sent in or questioned, and likewise with us. I don’t think it changes much.”

Parker and Carter both played in last year’s Wellington loss against the Springboks, so are aware of the expected backlash.

Parker said, “Everyone’s expecting a response from them, but we also expect a response from us as there was plenty of stuff we didn’t get right as well. It’s a great chance for us to get some of that stuff right.”

He said captain Siya Kolisi’s return for South Africa would be the equivalent of Ardie Savea coming back for the All Blacks.

“He’s an inspiration leader for them and has got a great work ethic.”

Carter said the physicality the Springboks will bring is what he is preparing for.

“They’re a big, physical team, and on the other side of that, their backs have got elite feet, good footwork and are fast.

“Both teams know what they’re going to be walking into and it creates a great vibe in the stadiums.”

Carter said the All Blacks continue to work hard on high balls.

“They have some good wingers in the air, so we’ve got to get up in the air early and catch it.”

The teams are:

New Zealand: 1.George Bower, 2.Codie Taylor, 3.Tyrel Lomax, 4.Fabian Holland, 5.Tupou Vaa’i, 6.Simon Parker, 7.Luke Jacobson, 8.Ardie Savea (captain), 9.Cam Roigard, 10.Ruben Love, 11.Leroy Carter, 12.Jordie Barrett, 13.Quinn Tupaea, 14.Will Jordan, 15.Damian McKenzie.

Substitutes: 16:Asafo Aumua, 17.Xavier Numia, 18.Fletcher Newell, 19.Patrick Tuipulotu, 20.Peter Lakai, 21.Kyle Preston, 22.Anton Lienert-Brown, 23.Josh Moody.

South Africa: 1.Ox Nche, 2.Malcolm Marx, 3.Wilco Louw, 4.Eben Etzebeth, 5.Ruan Nortje, 6.Siya Kolisi or Paul de Villiers, 7.Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 8.Jasper Wiese, 9.Cobus Reinach, 10.Handre Pollard, 11.Ethan Hooker, 12.Damian de Allende, 13.Jesse Kriel, 14.Kurt-Lee Arendse, 15.Damian Willemse.

Substitutes: 16.Deon Fourie, 17.Gerhard Steenekamp, 18.Thomas du Toit, 19.Lood de Jager, 20.Andre Esterhuizen, 21.Cameron Hanekom, 22.Morne van den Berg, 23.Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Now that meetings with referees have to be joint affairs with the opposition coach, Erasmus said it was impossible to discuss issues with the other coach in attendance.

Erasmus and All Blacks coach Dave Rennie did not meet with first Test referee Matthew Carley before the game.

World Rugby’s new protocol has eliminated coaches’ right to provide unlimited feedback to officials. Teams are only allowed a maximum of six action clips with notes, on World Rugby’s Athlete Management System (AMS).

Under the protocol,, the coaching staff of any team can meet with a referee before a Test only with the opposing team’s approval, and with them present as well.

Erasmus said, “In my opinion, it’s impossible to discuss something with the referee with the other coach present.

“I’m going to say, ‘Listen, we are concerned about this in the scrums’, and he’s going to say, ‘But we do this in the scrums.’”

That would affect the tactical plans and the chance for an element of surprise if the opposition coach were there.

“You might say, ‘These guys really clean out well at the breakdown...will you be looking at that?’ But you can’t have that discussion in front of the referee, because then the opposition coach knows that’s what you’re looking at.

“So what do you discuss with the referee? ‘Boys, are you going to play within the laws?’ The laws of the game are the laws, so it’s almost impossible. There’s no logic behind two coaches meeting and discussing the laws with the referee.”

It’s more likely the two head coaches will have a social meeting before the Cape Town Test.

Erasmus said he and Rennie have a cordial relationship stemming from their time in URC rugby and from Rennie’s time as Australia coach.

“Dave and I had a beer [after the first Test’, and we’re going to try to catch up on Friday for a beer in Cape Town. But without the referee.”

South African teams should be dropped by Europe

While South Africans and New Zealanders have enjoyed a resumption of provincial contacts in the touring fashion that the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series has revived, arch-British rugby critic Stephen Jones wants to see South African teams dropped from the URC.

Writing in Rugby World, Jones offered his thoughts on the future shape of professional rugby, which included dropping the South Africans from northern hemisphere tournaments.

“Let South Africa be South Africans. Goodbye.

“The most idiotic idea that anyone in pro rugby ever had was to allow South Africa to enter not only the URC, but also the major European competitions.

“I may not have been much good at geography, but I remember that South Africa is not in Europe.”

Jones, who retired from his regular Sunday Times work earlier this year, said, “South African players and coaches dislike the tournaments, and players in the other nations who compete dislike it too for the same reasons – preposterous travelling, unfocused rivalries, weakened sides being field for away games.”

Jones said South Africa should look to restore the Currie Cup as the centrepiece of its domestic calendar.

Boks need to make defensive changes

Former All Blacks’ assistant coach John Plumtree said the Springboks will need to change their style to get more width on defence.

“We knew that the All Blacks would find space, whether it was over the top with a bridge pass or kicking in behind and exposing that Springbok defence. And that’s exactly what they did when they could.

“It’s going to be interesting to see if the Springboks adjust because this up-and-in linespeed they’ve got against the modern attacks is now becoming a little risky.”

Skills will also have been a target in this week’s preparation for the second Test in Cape Town.

“The mauling and the scrumming the boys can do really well, so they’ll be working harder on some of the things they’re not doing so well.

“They are under pressure. They’re up against a proper team, a united team, a happy team.”

Plumtree added that he believes the All Blacks’ inside back combination of halfback Cam Roigard, first five-eighths Ruben Love and second five-eighths Jordie Barrett was comparable with France’s top-ranked inside backs.

It was 62 minutes before the All Blacks got in front of the locals, and it took a last-minute try to claim a six-point winning advantage.

Coach Dave Rennie said the All Blacks benefited from the game.

“The Lions got off to a flier at the start of both halves, so our boys showed a lot of character to fight our way back into the game. We created so many opportunities.

“If you look at the numbers, we dominated, but we probably didn’t do the obvious enough times.

“But you’ve got to give credit to the Lions. They came to play tonight. They were excellent and made us work hard. They got off to a good start and got the crowd into the game. At 17-35 down we were under a bit of heat, so I was pleased with the composure and our ability to grind out that last 30 minutes and finish in front.”

Such a close contest in which the All Blacks were often under pressure had been significant for many of the less experienced players.

“They’re going to learn a lot from that. The fact we had to dig deep tonight is important.”

They were reluctant to put loosehead prop Xavier Numia on as a substitute, but with about 10 minutes to play, he was introduced with immediate effect on the scrum.

Rennie was also impressed with the way replacement lock Jamie Hannah, who only arrived in South Africa on Monday, responded.

“He was excellent. Samisoni [Taukei’aho – hooker] had a big game, and Ethan Blackadder [flanker] was massive. He was all over the park. He got his hands on a lot of ball post-tackle. He carried a lot for us, made a lot of tackles and was good in support play.

“He’s got a big engine, Ethan, and he’s all arms and legs. He had a massive impact on the game.

“There were a lot of big contributors out there, but we just weren’t accurate enough. We turned over too much ball.

“At times we tried to play too much. There was a lot of space to kick to that would have put them under a lot of pressure. They [the Lions] kicked a lot more than us and benefited from it.

“We controlled the last 30 [minutes] reasonably well but were not as clinical as we needed to be.”

Much attention was focused on first five-eighths Richie Mo’unga’s return to the side.

“He had a lot of nice touches, and he’ll be better for that time on the park. It’s not just about him jumping into the No10 jersey, but it’s the connection with everyone around you that you may not have played a lot of footy with.

“We’re pleased with his contribution and he’ll be better for it.”

Captain for the night lock Patrick Tuipulotu said the Lions tested them at the set piece, around the breakdown and in getting over the ball so quickly.

“The guys we had on the field enjoyed it. We seemed a bit calm even though there was a bit of chaos and they were up on the scoreboard. It’s a credit to our game drivers and the guys who finished. They stayed in it and got it over the line in the last few minutes.”

Tuipulotu said if needed for Test duty at the weekend he would be ready to go.

Rennie said loose forward Anton Segner had some keyhole surgery to wash out an infection. He will go to Cape Town with the side but won’t take part in the rest of the tour.

No replacement will be sought, as the midweek games are now complete and they have enough loose forwards to choose from.

For much of the game, the All Blacks were less assured in their decision-making, and that was down to the Lions taking the game to them and scoring five tries that were all converted by their deadeye first five-eighths Chris Smit, two of them in the first six minutes.

Flanker Siba Mahashe was effective with the ball in hand while halfback Nico Steyn was a constant in his control from the base of scrums and rucks.

For the All Blacks, flanker Ethan Blackadder made a massive contribution towards keeping his side in the game with two tries and strong carries complementing his turnover plays and tackles.

The performance of centre Rieko Ioane, who scored two key tries, helped turn around a 17-35 deficit and set up a stronger run from home.

And when Lakai, prop Xavier Numia and lock Jamie Hannah joined the action, there was a noticeable lift in the continuity play that carried the All Blacks home.

For first five-eighths Richie Mo’unga, it was a workmanlike return, with some of his trademark runs at the opposition but less influential than when in his prime.

Six minutes of early embarrassment for the All Blacks saw the Lions two tries up, and helped them to a 21-17 lead at halftime.

The Lions raced out with their big pack charging onto the ball at pace to test the All Blacks’ defence from the outset. Then, from a fifth-minute lineout, it was lively halfback Nico Steyn who pierced the defence when breaking from a ruck to score under the posts.

The home team cleared the restart to touch. The All Blacks claimed the lineout, but halfback Noah Hotham’s pass was intercepted by barnstorming Lions blindside flanker Siba Mahashe, who intercepted the ball and ran 35 metres to score.

It reflected a disjointed All Blacks effort, with mistakes and penalties mounting.

However, the All Blacks responded and but for a last pass, a forward pass from flanker Wallace Sititi to wing Fehi Fineanganofo, a minute from the break, after some magic from Beauden Barrett, who dropped a high pass to his right hand with control to his left foot to kick ahead, they would have taken the lead for the first time.

Hotham had almost immediate relief from the intercept when wing Emoni Narawa ran from the base of a ruck to beat two defenders before slipping the ball to the unmarked Hotham for a 10^th-minute try.

Narawa, who enjoyed plenty of ball in hand in the free-flowing game, was in the action again in the 24^thminute when the All Blacks ran the ball from their line through second five-eighths Timoci Tavatavanawai and Fineanganofo, initially. The ball was moved across the field where Barrett’s backhand pass was moved on perfectly by captain and lock Patrick Tuipuloto to Narawa, who scored.

A clever break and kick ahead by home fullback Quan Horn gave the Lions momentum that saw them strike deep into All Blacks territory with good ball control before Steyn ran across the front of the All Blacks’ defence before popping a pass to wing Kelly Mpeku, who dived in at the corner after 32 minutes.

But three minutes later from the restart, the All Blacks utilised a quick lineout throw by Barrett, and a thrilling counter-attack with the ball passed perfectly through player after player before flanker Ethan Blackadder capped his hard-working first half with the try.

However, if the Lions’ first-half start was electric, their second half was nuclear as Smit put up a box kick, which was taken at speed by wing Erich Cronje. He linked with Mahashe, who charged down the line before dropping a pass to Cronje in support. He kicked the ball ahead and over the line to score a minute after the start.

Then, the Lions got back into All Blacks’ territory and from a five-metre scrum in the 46th minute they pushed the All Blacks back for No8 Francke Horn to score.

At 17-35 down, the All Blacks lifted the tempo, and it was Barrett, who passed out to Ioane, who cut through two defenders and raced 40m to score. Then, six minutes later, as the Lions looked to stretch their lead, Ioane picked off an errant midfield pass, and he ran 50 metres to get the All Blacks within four points.

They claimed the lead for the first time after 61 minutes when, from a turnover in their territory, they moved the ball wide with a Mo’unga punch, resulting in him getting the ball to Ioane, who had moved to wing. He passed to Tavatavanawai, who had Blackadder inside him to take a pass and run in his second try.

The win was finally sealed at full time when Narawa made the most of the All Blacks’ scrum power, which revealed itself in the last 10 minutes with two crucial scrums. The first got them out of their territory. It set them up for their final chance, which saw replacement No8 Peter Lakai take the ball into the goalmouth before it was sent through the line for Narawa, to cut back past four cover defenders to score his second try and secure the victory.

Scorers: Lions 35 (Nico Steyn, Siba Mahashe, Kelly Mpeku, Erich Cronje, Francke Horn tries; Chris Smit 5 con) All Blacks 41 (Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa 2, Ethan Blackadder 2, Rieko Ioane 2 tries; Beauden Barrett con; Richie Mo’unga 2 con). HT: 21-17

First Test starter Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been dropped to the bench as the circumstances of the 16-33 first Test loss have impacted Erasmus’ original selection plans for the series.

“We had a different team in mind. We hoped we could win the first Test match, and we wanted to try some things. We hoped Canan Moodie would be fit. I would have loved to play Cheslin again.

“Then he got injured, and [halfback] Grant Williams got injured as well. So there are a couple of changes that we wouldn’t have made, and others that we wanted to make.

“But, because of us not getting winning momentum, it’s tough to make more changes.”

Pollard’s Cape Town experience, and his kicking ability in what may be wet conditions, came into the selection play.

“I think we played stupid [at Johannesburg], and some of the messages came from me – on the pitch, you know, ‘two points is three points is two less than five’...

“Handre has always been the guy that does it for us. He grew up in Cape Town; it’s his hometown, the same as Manie [Libbok].

“I feel bad for Manie, but we know Manie is still going to play in the next two matches after this one. We think Handre is a good fit.”

Erasmus said the scoreboard didn’t reflect the Springboks’ periods of dominance, which saw them enjoy 60 percent of territory in the game. But they lost because they couldn’t convert those opportunities into points.

“Most of the things we inflicted on ourselves, and that’s frustrating. We are irritated with each other inside the camp.

“They [the All Blacks] are a very good team and No1 in the world now, and we know that we are the team that is chasing them to try and get the No1 spot back again.”

Having made changes in the team for the second Test with Cobus Reinach starting at halfback with Handre Pollard at first five-eighths and Ethan Hooker on the wing for the injured Cheslin Kolbe, he said they also didn’t get what they wanted from their bench.

That was also on the starters and coaches who did not create the launchpad for the replacements to finish the job.

“We didn’t get what we wanted from the bench, because the guys who started didn’t convert...our plans didn’t work, and that’s on me.

“They, and I’m including the coaches there, didn’t give those guys the platform to actually go on and finish those things. They had to chase the game.”

To keep the series alive, the Springboks needed to prepare by working on the areas the All Blacks proved superior at Johannesburg.

“They imprinted their game plan on us, and that’s where they were better than us. For all intents and purposes, for them it was a beautiful game; for us, it was for 60 minutes a really well-contest game, and then they ran away with us.”

Despite having named the team, Erasmus said there was still a small chance that Kolbe could play. His injury was not cramp as first thought, but is more of an ankle injury.

“If he really recovers well, we might make a change there, but at this stage I don’t think it will be.”

The Springbok team is: 1.Ox Nche, 2.Malcolm Marx, 3.Wilco Louw, 4.Eben Etzebeth, 5.Ruan Nortje, 6.Siya Kolisi or Paul de Villiers, 7.Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 8.Jasper Wiese, 9.Cobus Reinach, 10.Handre Pollard, 11.Ethan Hooker, 12.Damian de Allende, 13.Jesse Kriel, 14.Kurt-Lee Arendse, 15.Damian Willemse.

Substitutes: 16.Deon Fourie, 17.Gerhard Steenekamp, 18.Thomas du Toit, 19.Lood de Jager, 20.Andre Esterhuizen, 21.Cameron Hanekom, 22.Morne van den Berg, 23.Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Meanwhile, the All Blacks captain for the game with the Lions on Wednesday (NZT), Patrick Tuipulotu, is aware of the Johannesburg-based team’s capabilities.

“They could turn up on the day and upset some teams; they have done that during the URC season; they’ve toppled some big teams. We know they’ll come out firing. A couple of Springboks have been released for them.

“They’ve got good skill around catch and pass and are quite rangy. I’d describe them as a loose forward group that can play, that can run, that can pass, pretty explosive. It’s shaping up as a challenge.”

Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen said that while they are still in the midst of their pre-season, being involved in a game against the All Blacks is a privilege and the team is excited.

He expects the All Blacks to play the way they did against the other franchises, rather than how they played in the first Test.

“I think the identity, how they want to play in terms of tempo...their breakdown work is world-class. Tempo, physicality, that’s how they want to play. The team they’ve picked is really physical with a lot of experience.

“For us, physicality, tempo and decision-making will be under pressure, but again, it’s such a good occasion for us that we’re excited about it.”

The Lions team is: 1.SJ Kotze, 2.PJ Botha, 3.Sebastian Lombard, 4.Etienne Oosthuizen, 5.Ruan Delport, 6.Siba Mahashe, 7.Batho Hlekani, 8.Francke Horn, 9.Nico Steyn, 10.Chris Smit, 11.Erich Cronje, 12.Richard Kriel, 13.Henco van Wyk, 14.Kelly Mpeku, 15.Quan Horn.

Substitutes: 16.Morne Brandon, 17.Boan Venter, 18.RF Schoeman, 19.Hyron Andrews, 20.Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21.JC Pretorius, 22.Haashim Pead, 23.Boeta Chamberlain.

The game is the last against the South African franchises on the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

Coach Dave Rennie said Mo’unga, who was called into the touring party as a replacement for centre Billy Proctor, who suffered a broken shoulder blade, is keen to ‘give it a rip.’

Mo’unga last played for the All Blacks in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final and played in Japan until earlier this year.

Rennie said since joining the side, Mo’unga had been ‘awesome.’

“I told him we’d not consider him for the first Test. He did not expect to start. He’s been phenomenal [in Japan]. His vision and decision-making are phenomenal. He and [fellow first-five] Ruben Love work a lot together.

“Richie gets the chance [on Wednesday] to put a bit of pressure on.”

Mo’unga said that, having decided in Japan to try to play for the All Blacks again, that decision was confirmed for him during the New Zealand anthem being sung at Ellis Park before the first Test on Saturday.

“There was the moment where I thought, this is why I wanted to come back, that feeling of adding to the legacy, and that feeling of testing yourself against the best in the world.

“One reason for coming back was I didn’t want to have any regrets; I didn’t want to think, “I wish I’d given it another crack.”’

Since returning to the side, there were new faces on the team and a different dynamic.

“But there’s an awesome buzz within this group. The leaders are doing a really awesome job leading this team, and you’ve got guys just ready to go, ready to put their hand up.”

He feels better after his time offshore.

“Japan gave me a lot of perspective, a lot of different experiences I hadn’t had in New Zealand, and you just don’t get that in terms of the game itself.

“I’ve had to lead from a different angle: lead as a player, but also as a coach in Japan. And I’ve grown so much as a person, as a father and as a husband, which has been pretty special the last couple of years.

“I’ve come back really grateful. I knew I missed it, but coming back in, you realise this is a really special circle to be in. I’m savouring every moment and not taking these things for granted.”

Mo’unga said he has been impressed by how incumbent first five-eighths Ruben Love has played this season, for the Hurricanes and All Blacks.

“Coming into this team, it’s not about trying to back the No10 jersey; that’s not my role at this moment.

“My role is getting into the group, understanding how the team plays, meeting coaches for the first time, and helping out however I can, prepping the boys for an awesome Test yesterday.

“And now, I’ve got the awesome opportunity to put on a jumper myself.”

Rushed into the side’s bench after getting the call-up on Sunday are prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi and lock Jamie Hannah. Replacement halfback Noah Hotham will start after being called in as cover for the injured Cortez Ratima.

Veteran lock Patrick Tuipulotu will captain for the second time on the tour while second five-eighths Timoci Tavatavanawai will start for the first time.

Rennie said the immediate emphasis for the All Blacks is the game, back at the scene of their 33-16 triumph over the Springboks at the weekend, Ellis Park, against the Lions.

“We haven’t talked about it [the Test win] at all with the group that played yesterday.

“Everyone gathered when we named the team this morning; our team had a quick preview and trained, and the rest of the guys did recovery.

“I’ve had a chat with the captains, and we’ve got a leadership meeting this afternoon where we’ll talk a little bit about what’s important this week, but there’s been no discussions yet with the players.”

Rennie, who said the Test win was the most significant of his coaching career, did say he expected the Springboks to double down in their second Test preparation after feeling they had the edge on the All Blacks at scrum time.

“The aerial contest...they’re good in that area. They’ll double down and try to do it better.”

The team is:

1.Siale Lauaki, 2.Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3.Pasilio Tosi, 4.Sam Darry, 5.Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 6.Wallace Sititi, 7.Ethan Blackadder, 8.Semisi Ta’eiloa, 9.Noah Hotham, 10.Richie Mo’unga, 11.Emoni Narawa, 12.Timoci Tavatavanawai, 13.Rieko Ioane, 14.Fehi Fineanganofo, 15.Beauden Barrett.

Substitutes: 16.Bradley Slater, 17.Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18.Saula Ma’u, 19.Jamie Hannah, 20.Peter Lakai, 21.Kyle Preston, 22.Josh Jacomb, 23.Anton Lienert-Brown.

Speaking on the Talking Boks podcast, Mallett said the turning point of the game for him was lock Fabian Holland’s chargedown of Bok halfback Grant Williams’ attempted clearing kick, and the resulting try.

But earlier in the game, lock Eben Etzebeth had achieved a similar charge-down only to be penalised for not having his feet behind the line of the last feet in the ruck. He was going to check the incident again because he didn’t feel Holland’s feet were behind the line.

“One was allowed to score his try, the other one wasn’t. It’s not an issue against the referee [Matthew Carley]. It’s difficult; things happen in split seconds. But that was the type of game it was for the Springboks. We had opportunities; we didn’t take them.

“They [the All Blacks] had opportunities, and they took almost everyone.

“We have problems around our attack. We have problems around our calmness and our direction in our attack, and that is around nine [halfback] and 10 [first five-eighths]. Unfortunately, [halfback] Grant Williams wasn’t at his best – a little indecisive and slow at the breakdown.

“[First five-eighths] Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] also didn’t have a great game. I would give them four out of 10 each. That was where we lost it. We had all the opportunities.

“It wasn’t collective intelligence, so nine and 10 were critical in this game and they didn’t play well enough.”

Mallett said at halftime he was confident the Springboks were going to take the game away from the All Blacks.

Nick Mallett: ‘We’ve got our work cut out for us.’

The decision not to take three points in front of the All Blacks posts, and the concession of a scrum penalty in the resulting play was a body blow.

“The team had taken three consecutive scrums, obviously hoping to get a yellow card against one of their front row players. So, in 55 minutes, we created so many more opportunities than the All Blacks.

“Yet, the All Blacks had two opportunities and scored both times.”

Mallett said the All Blacks took their chances ‘unbelievably well,’ and that would be the question coach Rassie Erasmus and his selectors will have to address ahead of the second Test.

He acknowledged the All Blacks’ ability to defend well and turn pressure back on South Africa.

“We had more territory, more possession than them. So, they scored five tries against one – that is a big problem for us. They score tries easily. When they get half a chance, they score. We seem to have to take four opportunities before we can score a try.

“If you’re wanting to play a game where your backline comes into play, Mannie Lubbock is the better flyhalf than Sacha. Sacha is a better defender and individualistically but Mannie is someone who can get our backline away.”

Mallett also noted the way the All Blacks corralled the Springbok defence.

“They showed physicality with ball in hand, and they did take it up the middle first, and that is what caused us to tighten our defence.

“And then, immediately, they were able to play it wide where our defender was perhaps 15-10 metres in from touch, and they had a bit of space out wide. I’m not saying they’ll be able to do it in the rain [in Cape Town], but this is a concern for our defence. It’s not just our attack.

“We have to improve, but we have to make sure we can cover the whole field because their attacking strategy is very, very accurate.

“[Halfback Cam] Roigard was superb. Roigard, [Jordie] Barrett, [Ruben] Love, those guys were absolutely outstanding. That was the difference, the decision-making of those guys as opposed to ours.”

There was also much talk about how the Springboks responded to their first Test loss in New Zealand last year by thrashing the All Blacks in Wellington.

Mallett said, “The only difference from an All Black point of view is that Razor Robertson was coaching them last year and they perhaps didn’t have such clarity in performance that they do now under Dave Rennie.

“They’ve really bought into what Rennie’s trying to do. They believe in it, and that’s very powerful in the team.

“It seemed as though the All Blacks were relieved to have won the game at Eden Park, and it’s almost as though they took a big outward breath of air that they had kept their Eden Park record as a fortress and perhaps mentally relaxed, and the Boks climbed into them.

“But Dave Rennie seems to have got this team very focused and very committed to the way he wants them to play.

“It’s not just fast and loose. They do the hard yards, they do the aggressive defence. They’re a difficult team to beat at the moment.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Coach Dave Rennie said, “We’ve got a leg up, but it doesn’t guarantee anything against what we know is such a good side.

“Next week’s going to be just as tough.

“It was an absolute arm wrestle at 16-19; we were under the pump and the boys barred up. We defended and defended, then we were clinical, and we got our opportunities. I’m really proud.

“It was a massive effort, a great result for us, but, we’re wary of the response we’ll get next week.”

Rennie said some of the All Blacks’ scrum issues were not helped by the fact that loosehead Ethan de Groot had been ill overnight and had left the captain’s run early to go back to bed, but the impact at scrum time off the bench was solid in the last 30 minutes.

“We’ll always debate scrums, every team does, when you get penalised. You question they’re walking around. They got penalised for walking around eventually [in front of the All Blacks’ posts] and that was probably a key moment in the game.”

Asked about where the win rated on his coaching CV, Rennie said it wasn’t about him. He said the staff had worked hard with the team. It was tough to win at Ellis Park against the No1 team in the world, so he was proud of the outcome.

“But we’re in our infancy where we’re still getting our heads around exactly how we want to play, and growing. We have some good young men coming through and it was nice to get a result tonight.”

The defensive effort was also crucial.

“Tana [Umaga] and his defence group have done a great job. We’ve fot a lot of guys working hard for each other. It was a big defensive effort.”

The side was guilty of giving away avoidable penalties, which was frustrating, especially in the timing of driving at lineout ball takers.

“We kept giving them minutes into the 22m, where South Africa are the best in the world. [Statistically] they score five and a half points every entry and tonight it was 0.9, whereas we were 3.7. That’s a big stat where we were able to convert when we got down there, and they weren’t.”

Captain and No8 Ardie Savea said he was proud of the team for the composure shown, and the exposure of younger players to playing in South Africa was invaluable.

“To come away with the good win, a tough win, at Ellis Park, will do a lot to their confidence and understanding of what it takes to win at Ellis Park. It’s pretty special.

“I also want to mention, and shout out to Damian [de Allende] as well in his 100th game. He is a special player, but more so a special human being.”

Savea said he was nervous when a TMO call was made to check a potential head knock in a tackle with rival No8 Jasper Wiese.

“I was happy with the decision. I was nervous, but they made the decision and it worked in our favour.”

Rennie added to Savea’s response, saying it was technically the right call. The footage showed that when Savea made the tackle on Wiese’s shoulder, Wiese’s head came forward.

“That means that first impact is on the body. If the head goes back, first impact is straight on the head. It’s good refereeing and good to see at this level.”

Fullback Damian McKenzie said the All Blacks will keep their feet on the ground.

“Test rugby’s not easy and to win at Ellis Park is no mean feat. We have to enjoy that, but then move on quickly.

“We’ve got another game on Tuesday against the Lions, and the Test at Cape Town. South Africa is too good a team to just sit back; they’ll throw everything at us next week.”

McKenzie enjoyed watching the way the All Blacks pack turned their scrum around in the second half.

“I don’t know too much of the technical stuff about the scrums, but South Africa have got an outstanding set piece and for our boys, and our bench, to come on and lock down the scrum and our lineout was pleasing.

“To be able to match them tonight and getting some reward was pleasing from a back’s point of view.”

The All Blacks still needed to be better at defusing the Springboks’ high balls. They were also pleased to be only one point down at the break.

“We knew we still had opportunities to play and were able to do that early in the second half. We had to stay patient, trust our game plan and get back to our work.

“We play with a lot of optimism to create opportunities. We were able to do that.”

Coach Rassie Erasmus said New Zealand forced the errors with intense, sharp pressure.

“You get a hiding like this, you are thoroughly beaten by a team that’s probably now No1 in the world. It’s nice to go into the next game as the underdogs.”

He added that he wouldn’t say the Springboks would learn from the loss and get better.

“We didn’t have to learn from this. We knew what we had to do on the day, and we didn’t do it.”

He said even if the game-turning scrum in front of the All Blacks posts had been awarded as a penalty, and it was kicked, there were still a lot of errors that South Africa made that could not have assured a win.

“It’s not a wake-up call. There are so many things we did wrong and that New Zealand did right. There are a lot of things we have to fix.

Erasmus said the key scrum won by the All Blacks in front of their posts proved to be a key scrum, and he had no qualms with referee Matthew Carley’s decision. He felt the better option might have been for South Africa to take the three points instead of the scrum.

“We were only three points down at that stage. They [the All Blacks] scrummed really well and from then on there was a momentum shift.”

Springboks captain Pieter-Steph du Toit said his side made critical mistakes in the attacking 22m area. Some of them were down to handling mistakes, but Erasmus observed the All Blacks had attempted to strip balls in the tackle, something the Springboks had not practised for.

“They didn’t tackle like we thought they would. They normally either push down or chop tackles, and in this game they had a lot of strips. Even the non-try [Malcolm Marx] was stripped over the line.

“A lot of them were because of the good work New Zealand did. The ball wasn’t slippery so we can’t use that as an excuse.”

The All Blacks also played differently in the loose, and at breakdowns.

“We didn’t do well there, they did great.”

Erasmus said ‘catastrophic situations’ have been handled by the Springboks in his time.

“We lost the first Test against the British & Irish Lions [2021], and everybody said that was catastrophic. We lost the first game against New Zealand in the 2019 Rugby World Cup; everybody said that was catastrophic, so we’ve been in a lot of catastrophic situations in our lives.

“We are now in a position where if we want to win a series, we have to win three games on the trot. It puts them [the All Blacks] in a very good position, which they thoroughly deserve.

“Now we have to go to Cape Town and try and win there, then it’s all level.

“I wouldn’t say its catastrophic because there is a way out and that’s winning three matches on the trot.”

Du Toit said, “They played a big different that we thought they were going to play and that’s why they were better than us.”

Springbok centre Jesse Kriel, who ended up playing on the wing due to injuries to players inside him, said their lack of accuracy proved costly. He said they were not out of the series and they have three more chances.

“We know we weren’t as accurate as we wanted to be. We also know that New Zealand played unbelievably well. They were well prepared and came here with a great plan.”

Kriel said the changes to the backline were not a factor in the loss as they trained for all sorts of match circumstances.

“We’re a team that finds solutions and we will find solutions. We’ll be better next week.”

It was a game fully representative of all 105 years of contact between the sides. Still, when it came down to tactical finesse, ball security and opportunities taken, the All Blacks enjoyed a five tries, two of them to wing Will Jordan, to one advantage.

South Africa’s power game dominated the first 45 minutes of the contest, with the All Blacks scrum subjected to extreme pressure, yet South Africa couldn’t turn that into a game-winning points advantage. The All Blacks had only 39 percent territory across the game, but enjoyed a 56 percent possession advantage while winning 14 turnovers to five.

By the end of the game, South Africa’s desperation resulted in two yellow cards in the last 10 minutes that allowed the All Blacks to finish the game in a canter.

The much-feared Springbok bomb squad was not unleashed, and the box-kicking failed to give the home team the advantage they sought.

They were happy to take points from penalty goals. But New Zealand’s defence, making 132 tackles to 86, denied the Springboks scoring chances, never more than when second five-eighths Jordie Barrett got his hand on a ball being carried by Springbok hooking powerhouse Malcolm Marx to force him to drop the ball in the act of diving for a try in the 36^th minute.

Then, after South Africa looked to take advantage of their soft-kick lobs over the All Blacks backs, a 47th-minute charge down by lock Fabian Holland of a clearing kick by halfback Grant Williams saw him reclaim the ball, sidestep first five-eighths Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and score.

The All Blacks never conceded the lead from that point. The try coincided with the introduction of prop Fletcher Newell and hooker Asafo Aumua, a move that relieved the scrum pressure immediately but then turned it back on South Africa.

Wing Cheslin Kolbe opened the scoring with a fourth-minute penalty goal, but the South Africans found themselves on the end of penalty errors, and the All Blacks made the most of it to get into Springbok territory.

At a second lineout in the 22m area, after eight minutes, the All Blacks drove for halfback Cam Roigard to have a dart at the line. He was able to get back into position and fire a long pass in front of three All Blacks for Jordan to dive over in the corner.

But All Blacks’ mistakes allowed the Springboks to reply similarly, using their lineout to move the ball wide, where replacement back Andre Esterhuizen burst through wing Josh Moorby’s tackle to cross in the 13^thminute.

The All Blacks had a chance as they got into the midfield in front of the posts, but Holland conceded a neck roll, and the Springboks cleared.

However, the All Blacks kicked deep, and when Feinberg-Mngomezulu opted to take a mark in the 22m area, the All Blacks won the resulting lineout. Second five-eighths Jordie Barrett took the tackle in midfield, then was back in position when the ball was worked back to the blindside.

His long pass found flanker Tupou Vaa’i on the sideline track where he got ahead to slip a pass inside to Moorby. He slipped a tackle and ran in for the try after 22 minutes. No sooner had they claimed the lead through first five-eighths Ruben Love’s sideline conversion than a penalty was conceded after the restart for Kolbe to land another penalty goal.

South Africa returned deep into the All Blacks’ half but missed two scoring chances. Marx’s effort followed moments later when Feinberg-Mngomezulu opted for a cross-field kick that went directly to touch. The better option would have been to retain the ball, but that was reflective of the weaker decision-making by the Springboks throughout.

The All Blacks were again under defensive pressure before the break, especially with lock Josh Lord and prop Ethan de Groot forced to leave the field after hitting heads in attempting a tackle.

But the line held and halftime saw a 13-12 margin to the home team. Still, concern over penalties remains. In the first half, especially, the penalties favoured South Africa 4-9, which allowed them to get their big men, especially No8 Jasper Wiese, who was a handful every time he got the ball in his hands, and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, running hard and asking questions of the All Blacks defence.

Another penalty goal was landed by Kolbe six minutes into the second half. However, Holland charged his kick down, recovered the ball, stepped Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scored.

The momentum changed, and the All Blacks took control in the most emphatic result in recent New Zealand history.

Scorers: South Africa 16 (Andre Esterhuizen try; Cheslin Kolbe con, 3 pen) New Zealand 33 (Will Jordan 2, Josh Moorby, Fabian Holland, Luke Jacobson tries; Ruben Love 4 con). HT: 13-12

Coach Dave Rennie said the choice of locks was just one area that made the selection difficult.

“We’re really excited about that group, but you look at how good Paddy [Patrick Tuipulotu] was against Ireland, and Sam Darry’s been excellent for us as well. He’s a big man with a really good skill set and a massive engine.

“We believe we’ll use more than 23 on this tour and such is the intensity of the Tests we think other guys will get their opportunities.”

While Fabian Holland has not had much rugby in 2026, Rennie said they wanted to get some decent football into him in the games against the Stormers and Bulls.

“It’s been good for him. He’s got a big engine as well and to get through as much football as he did at altitude last week was great. We believe he’s ready to go. He’s a big man who will have an impact on the game.”

Rennie said fullback Damian McKenzie came through the week of training well, as did halfback Cameron Roigard and wing Will Jordan.

“They’re both [Roigard and Jordan] very good players and important to us. Both had big impacts in the Nations Cup series and they’re reasonably fresh and keen to rip in.”

As expected, Ruben Love secured the starting spot at first five-eighths.

“He’s been excellent. He’s confident, really clear. He’s led well and he’s had a great season. He’s been strong for us in the black jersey and deserves that starting spot.”

Captain Ardie Savea returns to play, and Rennie said he is showing the benefit of a few days off.

“I know he missed it, and he’s trained hard. He’s come back in and connected quickly.”

The choice of wing Josh Moorby was down to the composure he has shown and his good decision-making.

“He’s got an excellent skill set, he’s got a big ticker and we get a lot of repeat efforts out of him, but it is his ability to do the obvious that creates space for him, or people around him. It was also a difficult choice as Leroy Carter was excellent last week. He’s on the bench and as it’s a 23-man game nowadays they’ll both have impact.”

Rennie said while the Springboks have raised points about the All Blacks’ play, they were penalised for those points and learned from it. Their discipline was better against the Bulls, and they know it will be important against the Springboks.

“We know we’re going to have to be disciplined, so we don’t give them easy entry into our 22, and we’re going to have to be accurate.

“They’ve got an excellent team, haven’t they? We expect a lot of aerial attack, and if we can defuse that, that will give us some opportunity to attack.

“There’ll be times when it’s an arm wrestle and you have to dig in. We want to play when it’s on to play and we need to bar up for a big chunk of it. It’s Test footy and we know the Springboks will ask a lot of us.”

The teams are:

All Blacks: 1.Ethan de Groot, 2.Codie Taylor, 3.Tyrel Lomax, 4.Josh Lord, 5.Fabian Holland, 6.Tupou Vaa’I, 7.Luke Jacobson, 8.Ardie Savea (captain), 9.Cam Roigard, 10.Ruben Love, 11.Josh Moorby, 12.Jordie Barrett, 13.Quinn Tupaea, 14.Will Jordan, 15.Damian McKenzie.

Substitutes: 16.Asafo Auma, 17.George Bower, 18.Fletcher Newell, 19.Anton Segner, 20.Peter Lakai, 21.Kyle Preston, 22.Anton Lienert-Brown, 23.Leroy Carter.

It will be Roigard’s first of his 20 Tests on South African soil.

“I’ve been waiting a few years for this opportunity, and I’m hoping to be able to take that on Saturday.

“I’m excited and that’s the feeling around the whole camp.”

Roigard said he is confident the calf issue is resolved.

“I’ve had a good week so far and it’s been feeling mint, no issues.”

Roigard said at the start of the season he would have felt it was unlikely he would be playing at Test at Ellis Park with fellow Hurricane Josh Moorby.

“He went to France for a year and has come back with a lot of energy, and he’s a student of the game who is always trying to get better. The Hurricanes’ attack was pretty good this year, and it’s probably similar in a lot of ways to how we want to play here in the All Blacks. So, it suits him.

“His work ethic off the ball is immense. His anticipation of play- he’s a bit like Will [Jordan], who can pop out of nowhere; whether it’s a try or a line break, he’s there for a second touch, is world-class.

“It’s been cool to see him come in and be himself but then still trying to get better.”

Wing Will Jordan said his back is feeling good and he is feeling confident heading into the Test.

“Unfortunately, I’m getting used to coming in reasonably fresh off injury into Test matches.”

Jordan said he felt the All Blacks built well during the July Nations series under new coach Rennie.

“So, for me coming back, I’m enjoying the combinations that we’ve built, particularly in the backline over that time. We get a chance to go out there with those guys again, and as a group we are growing.

“With the way we’re looking to play, we got a few opportunities with the ball in July, and there’ll be times where we’ll get that opportunity and times when we have to throw the sleeves up and do a bit of dirty work as well. It’s a bit Test this week and we’re looking forward to the challenge it will provide.”

He said many of the changes they have developed from the previous seasons have been tweaks, although the work they’ve done around the counter and turnover ball has probably been the biggest shift they have made.

“In July, we started to find the balance of that a bit more with our kicking game and how a kicking game can set up our running game. Hopefully, we some good conditions on Saturday, we’ll get a chance to use the ball well.”

Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned from an ankle injury in the Springboks’ last outing a fortnight ago against Argentina.

Erasmus said choosing between Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard was difficult. The same problem of choice occurred at halfback with Morne van den Berg, Cobus Reinach and Herschel Jantjies also in the hunt for Williams’ job.

But in choosing Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Erasmus went for the experience that saw him score nine tries last year, and a 37-point haul against Argentina.

“Sacha has done wonderful things for us when he’s played. He was flyhalf last year when we beat them in Wellington.

“Cobus and Grant are our first and second choice scrumhalves at this stage. We don’t always select combinations simply because Cobus and Sache play together at the Stormers.

“We look at which players understand what we’re trying to do and which players have trained the best.”

Erasmus handed the captaincy to flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit in the absence of Siya Kolisi.

Erasmus said Kolisi had trained well during the week, but they took a cautious approach to his return.

“We could have selected him for this clash; we thought it would be best to select Paul [de Villiers] for this weekend’s game.

“We are playing four Tests against the All Blacks and Paul has been playing well, so we are excited to give him a chance this weekend in what will be his first Test match against New Zealand, while taking a precautionary approach to Siya’s return.”

Erasmus also acknowledged second five-eighths Damian de Allende’s 100th Test match.

“He’s a great team man, and servant to the game, so we hope we can make it a memorable day for him. That said, his focus all week has only been this match, and he will not let the occasion shadow what he has to do on the field.”

The selection of the side was based on what the selectors felt was the best team for the weekend’s challenge.

“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited. They are a quality team, and they’re very well coached, so we are preparing for an 80-minute grind.

“Many of the matches between the sides have come down to the wire, so it’s important that we use the chances we create and ensure our discipline is on point.

“The squad is well balanced with players who remained in South Africa to train for this series and some of the players who featured against Argentina. The whole group has now been together for over a week, and we are aligned regarding the way we want to play this weekend.”

Fullback Damian Willemse is well aware of the role All Blacks first five-eighths Ruben Love could play in the outcome.

“He’s a great player. He can kick, he can pass, he can step, he’s really got everything.

“He’s had a tremendous Super Rugby [season] and he’s playing with Cam Roigard that he plays with. We’ve been following him and tracking his development. He’sa player who can spark anything for the All Blacks. He’s got an accurate book and looks like a player with a steady head on his shoulders.”

The team is:

Springboks: 1.Ox Nche, 2.Malcolm Marx, 3.Wilco Louw, 4.Eben Etzebeth, 5.Ruan Nortje, 6.Paul de Villiers, 7.Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 8.Jasper Wiese, 9.Grant Williams, 10.Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11.Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12.Damian de Allende, 13.Jesse Kriel, 14.Cheslin Kolbe, 15.Damian Willemse.

Substitutes: 16.Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17.Gerhard Steenekamp, 18.Zachary Porthen, 19.Cobus Wiese, 20.Andre Esterhuizen, 21.Marco van Staden, 22.Cobus Reinach, 23.Manie Libbok.

Do referees take any notice? Are they affected by all the talk? Do they read the newspapers or watch their Facebook feeds?

Given the acreage of newspaper space it takes up, does it all matter?

You could say it all adds to the build-up and is part and parcel of Test rugby.

But at the same time it is all rather tiresome, and often wasted energy. Perhaps that is another goal, getting under the skin and taking rent free space in the minds of the opposition.

The All Blacks’ regular complaint is about the slowing down of ball at breakdowns, and, quite rightly, the amount of time it takes forward packs to decide what they are going to do before a lineout, all while gasping a little more air into their lungs.

This week the Springboks have talked about ‘tucked shoulders’ being used by the All Blacks at the breakdown, often with a ‘reversed-arm non-wrapping action.’

Former Boks coach Nick Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast, “There’s been a bit of a phoney war, a lot of mortars lobbed over out of the trenches at each other and, ironically, using the media to get you points across.”

This has apparently become increasingly necessary because World Rugby has ruled that teams cannot now meet separately with the match officials before games – they have to go in together. You can only imagine what that exercise is like. Any bets on how long a conciliator will be required to join the meetings?

“It’s been a very interesting build-up,” Mallett continued.

“The All Blacks started quite early by saying South African teams tend to slow the ball down. They want to go from set piece to set piece. That’s not the game we’d like to show the world. We want to show our skills, running rugby, ball in play, all that sort of stuff.

“Then there was a lot of quiet from the Springboks for a while. For about a week they were digesting what the All Blacks were saying.

“Then this week there were some very cogent comments made by [analysis coach] Felix Jones and by Rassie [Erasmus], not directly contradicting the All Blacks, but putting out points that were factual. That was very effective, utilising the media.

“The comments the Boks have been making have been around the maul defence, around cleanouts at the ruck – in particular, the tucked shoulder, taking players past the ball to enable the pick-and-go to become much easier. It’s been quietly, but cleverly done.”

The All Blacks don’t have that on their own; Australian teams have it down to a fine art, and the French and Irish weren’t too bad either in the Nations Championship.

At the same time, Mallett acknowledged the rugby was the thing.

“I hope we remember it for the rugby and not for the refereeing decisions and the yellow cards and red cards, which have become pretty prevalent in recent times.”

The Springboks also had a responsibility to play within the laws, and this applied to set-up times at lineouts and scrums.

“I’d like them to be clear with us too about, if we get together and we’re having a big discussion about lineouts, to say, ‘Let’s get in there, let’s get the ball in within 30 seconds.’ That’s what the law says. The scrum should be set within 30 seconds. That’s what the law says. Let’s do that.

“But, apart from that, no one is allowed to tell anyone in rugby how to play. It’s a chess game. You utilise what you have got to your advantage that the opposition don’t want you to use.

“So, if we double-shove a scrum because we’re better than them, that’s our priority. We have the right to do that. We have a right to go for a driving-maul try.

“We don’t need to do peel-offs and pretty moves in the backline if we don’t want to. If we only want to do three phases and kick and up-and-under in a contestable, that’s up to us.”

Defensive coach Tana Umaga said they expect to be tested a lot in the areas of South Africa’s strengths and they understand what those areas are.

But, he added, “With the coaching staff they have, we’ve got to be ready for anything.”

Denying the Springboks entry into the All Blacks’ defensive area will be another aspect of their approach, because conceding penalties and being forced into the corners promoted South Africa’s strengths.

“Everyone talks about the set piece, but they’ve grown in their attacking prowess in the backs, and utilising their forwards in the right spaces.

“The fundamentals of making sure you look after the ball and control it as much as you can [are crucial]. That means catching it and looking after it.

“It’s trying to imprint your game, and they’re trying to do that on their side of the ball. We’re trying to do that when we get it to imprint our game and build momentum. It’s the fundamentals of rugby.

“If you look after your own ball, you get go-forward ball and you’re putting pressure on them. It’s more likely you’ll come away with points. If you don’t do that, then you’re on the other side of that ledger.”

Umaga said the All Blacks coaching staff are happy with where the team is defensively, but they’re not content.

“We feel like we can keep on improving, and we know we will need to keep improving coming up this weekend against the world champs.

“We’re not resting on our laurels around that. We’ve made some improvements and, to be honest, sometimes we’ve had a couple of areas that haven’t been going so well as they were in the Nations Cup.

“But, we’ve got a bit of time before we get to this weekend’s game to rectify those.”

The difference between the defensive challenges posed by South Africa and the All Blacks’ last Test opponents, Ireland, came down to the size of the Springboks pack and the relentless wave of big men charging ahead with the ball.

“It’s going to be tough for us. They’ve added some soft touches to their games with the skill set they have within the backs. Once you concentrate on what’s coming to you up front, they look for space out wide, and they look for space in behind. And again, you focus on one thing; you take your eyes off another.

“Our ability to make sure we’re focusing on what’s important at this minute, and then making sure we’re looking in the second around how we can alleviate some of that pressure.”

Umaga said Damian McKenzie got through what he needed to in their Tuesday training session and he was trending well towards the weekend.

“That’s all we can ask. Our medical staff and strength and conditioning staff have done a good job making sure they’re taking every precaution they can, while making sure he puts his best foot forward to be available for the team.