All Blacks make telling Springboks admission ahead of series opener
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The best.
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has highlighted several areas in which he believes the Springboks are currently setting the standard ahead of Saturday’s series opener at Ellis Park.
New Zealand have spent the past three weeks preparing for the Springboks with matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls, but Rennie is under no illusions about the considerable step up his side will face when the Test action gets underway.
The All Blacks boss has been studying South Africa closely and believes Rassie Erasmus’ side lead the world in several key areas.
“They lead the world in things like winning high balls back, the amount of entries into your 22, the amount of points per entry in your 22,” Rennie said.
Those numbers have placed a major emphasis on discipline and accuracy for New Zealand, with Rennie keen to prevent the Springboks from establishing themselves inside the All Blacks’ 22.
“So it all paints a picture around the fact that you’ve got to limit the amount of times you can let them in there, because they’re the best in the world at converting that pressure into points.”
South Africa’s ability to evolve has also caught the attention of the All Blacks coach, who expects Erasmus and his coaching staff to have plenty prepared for the opening Test.
“They’re big innovators in the game,” Rennie added.
The Springboks have continued to expand their game in recent seasons, with Tony Brown adding another dimension to their attack since joining the coaching staff.
Rennie also expects the South African side selected for Ellis Park to look considerably different to the one that defeated Argentina 17-10 in Buenos Aires earlier this month.
The All Blacks completed the provincial leg of their tour unbeaten following victories over the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls, but Saturday represents the beginning of an entirely different challenge.
Ellis Park will host the first of four consecutive Tests between rugby’s greatest rivals, with both sides looking to strike the first blow in the historic series.
