All Blacks prepare for second test against South Africa. Video / allblacks.com
Set aside last week's centenary test occasion and little has changed in the plot line for the All Blacks-Springboks rematch.
With a few notable tweaks, the All Blacks have selected a squad that will attempt to run the Boks off their feet, particularly in the last quarter when the exuberantbench featuring Richie Mo'unga, Damian McKenzie, Asafo Aumua, George Bower and Ethan Blackadder is unleashed.
The Boks, embracing the defiance of a rebellious teenager, are expected to stick with their kick-heavy, smothering tactics that almost frustrated the All Blacks into self-combustion.
Undeterred by any need to be aesthetically pleasing, why would the Boks deviate far from the script that rattled the All Blacks?
Ian Foster has, largely, retained faith in the same group that escaped a tortious examination thanks to Jordie Barrett's late strike in Townsville, with the exception of some telling changes.
Brad Weber's promotion ahead of TJ Perenara, for his third test start at halfback this year, speaks to the increased pace and tempo the All Blacks will seek to impose on a Boks side that forced more timeouts than an NFL clash last week.
Anton Lienert-Brown's return to centre after recovering from a hamstring strain pushes Rieko Ioane to the wing, but Foster conceded the shaky efforts from George Bridge and Will Jordan under the high ball barrage demanded change on the edges.
This time it's Ioane and Sevu Reece's turn to link with Barrett and try defuse the Faf de Klerk-Handre Pollard bomb squad.
"It's clearly an area we felt we needed to improve from last week so they've got a real focus for that," Foster said. "Sevu has played really well for us and Rieko has gone well too.
"Our back three weren't at the level we needed them to be so it's clearly a message that's been sent."
George Bridge has been dropped after a shaky performance under the high ball. Photo / Getty
For the All Blacks to inject their phase-play speed they must first find answers to their messy breakdown that allowed the Boks to plough through the middle and generate excess turnovers.
The wobbly lineout, which lost four throws and failed to deal with the South Africans' organised, aggressive rolling maul defence, also needs amending.
The same starting pack - other than Luke Jacobson recovering from a stomach bug to start at No 8 and Blackadder dropping to the bench despite another standout performance - has been entrusted with laying a vastly improved platform that, in turn, leaves no excuses for the backline attack to fail again by being too flat and not identifying space.
"Part of the issue is to make sure you diagnose the problems first and I think we've done that," Foster said. "Some of that are things we can control; some of it are things South Africa do very well. You're not going to win every moment against a top quality team, but we can't back up bad moment after bad moment after bad moment. We've got to make the adjustments as we go through the game.
"We've got a lot of players who are still learning the art of international rugby. I'd put Akira [Ioane] in that boat; Brad Weber is the same, David Havili and even Jordie Barrett having a regular run at 15 and seeing what he learns from that.
"We don't want to hide behind that, we still want to perform so bringing a bit of freshness in keeps competition high and makes sure energy levels can't be used as an excuse."
Ardie Savea. Photo / Getty Images.
The Boks succeeded in dictating terms last week by winning the collisions and pressuring the All Blacks into repeated mistakes. After reviewing the tape, though, there's no sense of panic from the All Blacks - a notion reflected in selections and their clear strategy.
"In order to get the lessons putting a large part of the group out again is going to be important but we're also acknowledging five tests in a row is going to give us a chance to freshen up a few areas and look at our bench and what we want in the last 30 minutes.
"We've got a forward bench that's got a plan to go into the last part of the game and bring plenty of enthusiasm and energy."
The slow, stop-start nature of the 100th test suited the Boks, who thrive on rumbling from set piece to set piece and accumulating points in threes.
The best way to flip that script, to force the Boks to break from their conservative shell, is to patiently build scoreboard pressure that ultimately forces them to chase the game. As the Wallabies proved in their successive victories, the Boks pack does not cope well with a fast-paced running game.
"They will be looking at their game and thinking they were one goal kick away from having a win and they probably trust their tactics so I don't see massive variations."
More often than not the All Blacks respond from an average performance with a statement of intent. Whether they achieve that to capture the touted Rugby Championship grand slam promises to offer the most definitive gauge yet of their quest to summit the rugby world.
All Blacks: Jordie Barrett, Sevu Reece, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Brad Weber, Luke Jacobson, Ardie Savea (c), Akira Ioane, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody.
Reserves: Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Ofa Tuungafasi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ethan Blackadder, TJ Perenara, Richie Mo'unga, Damian McKenzie.
