Inner battles to decide outcome
As with any Springbok/New Zealand encounter, there are the contests within the contests that determine the final outcome.
The Boks were outplayed in many departments when they won in Wellington, but they triumphed where it counted: on the scoreboard.
Here are the key contests that could swing the 97th South Africa/All Black game in any direction:
Cheslin Kolbe v Rieko Ioane: Ioane showed the ultimate finisher’s touch with his two tries in Wellington, but Kolbe also had an outing to remember with his intercept try.
Size has also counted against Kolbe, but in his matches for the Boks, he’s shown why Heyneke Meyer and Allister Coetzee made a serious mistake by leaving him out.
Kolbe was also smart in his handling of Israel Folau in Port Elizabeth last week, but New Zealand are far more accurate in regards with their kicking game and attacking the short-side when they’ve picked up the mismatch.
Kolbe will have a long day if he drops his guard and so will Ioane.
Jesse Kriel v Jack Goodhue: 35 Tests into his career and Kriel still has the jury questioning his ability as a Test-class outside centre.
That’s justifiable considering there’s been times when his “game-feel”, or the lack of it has been exposed.
However, not many other 13’s have covered themselves in glory to usurp Kriel.
Goodhue has been a serious bolter, and his form has been deemed to be good enough to relegate the quietly efficient yet injury prone Ryan Crotty to the bench.
There’s nothing flash about Goodhue, but he does the attacking and defending basics very well, if not better than Kriel.
Both 13’s will need their 12’s (Damian de Allende and SonnyBill Williams) to be in fine form. Francois Louw v Kieran Read: Read’s had a quiet 2018 by his standards but the prospect of dealing with the dangerous but also quiet Louw provides some spice to this personal encounter.
Louw’s the most experienced in the Bok loose trio, but at times he’s looked off the pace and his breakdown work hasn’t been of a high standard.
The premium on his experience can’t be replaced, but there’s a feeling of a thoroughbred vs carthorse in regards with this contest.
But like any number eight battle, they’ll need the respective tight fives to exert dominance.
Pieter-Steph du Toit v Shannon Frizzell:
Du Toit may not have Frizzell’s explosive pace that worries the pillar defence, but provides the close quarter combat expertise that often discomforts opponents.
There’s also his improved fitness and conditioning that sees him tackle from the first to the last whistle.
Du Toit may also lack Frizzell’s rugby smarts but makes up for that with his boundless energy.
Frizzell is another addition to the blindside conundrum as Jerome Kaino’s permanent blindside replacement, but he’s got Steve Hansen’s backing.
Frans Malherbe v Tu’inukuafe:
Malherbe’s slowly starting to find the form that made him one of the best tighthead props in 2014 but Tu’inkuafe’s no slouch. Karl
The All Black scrum had a ball against the Pumas but the Bok scrum, as inconsistent as it can be, isn’t to be trifled with.
There’s also the contest between Owen Franks and Steven Kitshoff, but Tu’inukuafe is known to love scrums more than anything else.
The same can be said of Malherbe, who’s position in the team is safe for now, but with Wilco Louw and Vincent Koch breathing down his neck, each game counts for whoever fills in at tight-head.
Louw’s the most experienced in the Bok loose trio, but at times he’s looked off the pace and his breakdown work hasn’t been of a high standard