R&R and now Rustenburg

Sun City luxury resort is all about leisure and relaxation - it's the sort of place where you get away from it all.

The All Blacks have been encouraged to use all the entertainment options - from wave pools, beaches, golf, tennis, nature walks and safaris, to casinos, bars and restaurants - as an antidote to the three-month grind of international rugby.

"The idea was to get them away from rugby for a while," assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

The All Blacks have been through an intense campaign and the strategy for the final test against the Springboks at Rustenburg tomorrow has been to give them a midweek break before a short, sharp buildup.

That strategy will get a stern workout, as the Springboks have picked a side which looks more intent on attacking with the ball rather than using the kick-and-chase tactics they employed at Pretoria.

Similar plans nearly unseated the All Blacks at Dunedin last year before the home side held on to win 31-27.

"In the last five minutes there they ran everything and nearly broke us and I have been waiting for them to have a crack at that again," Smith said.

The Springboks are capable of that sort of attack, they have some dangerous players, but the question will be whether they can orchestrate concerted team attacks.

"They are bloody good players and through adversity, they might find a style that suits them," Smith warned.

The dynamics of this first rugby international test at the Royal Bafokeng Sports stadium have the All Blacks shooting for a 16-match winning sequence and the Boks determined not to match the worst losing streak (six) in South African history.

Lock Chris Jack has recovered from a virus which removed him from some training this week and there have been no other casualties. Everyone has looked frisky in training, with the accent on distribution and support play.

How much do the All Blacks have left for the final test of their winter campaign?

Smith said there were no physical issues but some mental lethargy had set in after a fortnight away from home, which was another reason for a break in Sun City. But the final training sessions were crunch time.

"Nothing functions without work," Smith said. "You can't just expect it to happen, so we are always trying to make sure the work is up, that we have our eyes open, that we are calling and doing the fundamentals right, and that generally creates the attack."

The side showed that class in the second half at Pretoria, and if they can put it all together for 80 minutes, there is a chance of something special for test rugby's baptism at Rustenburg.

"The guys have an attacking attitude and we want them to use the ball, but the other team has a say in it as well," Smith said.

The All Blacks have several reference points to aim for, such as their performance against France in Paris in 2004, their play in the opening two tests last year against the Lions and against Wales and Ireland on the Grand Slam tour.

Against France, the forwards were outstanding getting the ball over the advantage line with subtle offloads. Since then, Smith said, the attacking moves had been developed.

The All Blacks are reading the game well but they are 12 months out from their World Cup goal and still building different styles of play. They want to be flexible and not burdened by structure.

But set-piece solidity tomorrow will once again set the tone. Keven Mealamu apart, they have the strongest pack and there is a similar feel, apart from halfback Jimmy Cowan, with the backline.

A glitch at Rustenburg will sour all the impressive results of the past few months. But the way the All Blacks have applied themselves this season, defeat seems as unlikely as snow at Sun City.