Rennie to ring the changes for Baltimore battle?

Unlike Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, New Zealand boss Dave Rennie is believed to be considering freshening up his team for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test series decider in Baltimore this Saturday.

Erasmus has backed largely the same group of players who’ve done the business for him in the last two Tests for the fourth Test in Baltimore on Saturday.

The All Blacks go into the decider having won the first Test at Ellis Park, but lost the next two Tests, in Cape Town and at the FNB Stadium.

The All Blacks must win this weekend to get a draw out of the series. A Bok win would give them a 3-1 series triumph.

Rennie has picked more-or-less the same players for the three Tests to date, while Erasmus’ matchday squads for the second and third Tests were similar, as is the case now for the fourth Test.

The Boks have only lost Cheslin Kolbe to injury for the fourth Test, with Damian Willemse returning, while the All Blacks are minus captain Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea, who’ve all sustained injuries.

Rennie is expected to shake things up in his team for the match in Baltimore. He was quoted as saying: “We sort of always thought we would make changes in the fourth Test regardless of whether we won that third one or not.”

He said he’d consider bringing in guys with “plenty of energy” and who can “share the load”.

With Savea out, and Jacobson, too, the All Blacks will need a new captain. Lock Patrick Tuipulotu looks to be the obvious choice.

Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord, who missed the last two Tests because of injury could return for the New Zealanders, while there is also a possibility that Ethan Blackadder and senior men such as Richie Mo’unga, Beauden Barrett, Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane could come into the reckoning.

Despite being 2-1 down, Rennie is confident his side have enough left in the tank for one more drive to level the series.

“We have definitely got one more in us.”

Rennie will name his lineup on Thursday.