Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the they would need to stamp their own DNA over the All Blacks' game plan to keep ball in play.
Mzwandile Stick described All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua as a very strong carrier of the ball. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
Personnel changes in the All Blacks line-up show they want to double down on their ball-in-play DNA while restoring their breakdown dominance, said Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick ahead of their third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test on Saturday.
The teams clash at FNB Stadium with the series 1-1 after the All Blacks first won in Johannesburg, and then the Boks bounced back in Cape Town.
With just two games to play, only the winner on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm) can secure the series outright.
Springboks aim to prevent 2-1 result in SA
However, Stick referred to the New Zealand media narrative around a drive for a 2-1 result in South Africa, before the final game is played in the United States.
“If they win, they will claim that they have beaten South Africa 2-1 in South Africa. We are well aware of their motivation in this game,” Stick said on Friday.
He said the removal of Test centurion and hooker Codie Taylor from the matchday 23 after a poor showing in the lineouts in Cape Town, coupled with Asafo Aumua’s start and the inclusion of Peter Lakai in the starting team and Wallace Sititi in the matchday 23, pointed to a challenge at the breakdown.
“So if we want to create opportunities, we will have to be clinical at the breakdowns.
“Set-pieces are one of our biggest platforms of attack. We will want to scrum straight. We have never walked around. If we get opportunities to scrum, we will look for that dominance,” Stick said of allegations the Springboks had scrummed illegally.
“The All Blacks will want to keep the ball in play. The more they can avoid breakdowns and set-pieces the better it is for their DNA.
“The key thing for tomorrow is probably the team that will put all those things together and execute them well will stand a chance of winning the game.”
All Blacks ‘don’t play hide and seek’
The Springbok assistant coach said the All Blacks’ line-up shows a “clear message”.
“They don’t play hide and seek. They talk about how they want to play, and when they get to the field they play exactly that way.
“We can all see they want to keep ball in hand, and when you look at their team, a guy like Lakai starting, every time he comes off the bench he makes a massive impact for them.
“Sititi is on the bench, and that shows that they want more ball players. Asafo Aumua is also one of the strong ball carriers.
“Irrespective of the weather conditions, they will still try to enforce their DNA on us. We will try to do the same thing.”
