The highly anticipated four-Test 'Greatest Rivalry' series between South Africa and New Zealand is set to kick off this Saturday at Ellis Park. The build-up in Johannesburg has been marked by lively pre-match exchanges between the two camps.
New Zealand's head coach, Dave Rennie, and assistant Tana Umaga have publicly stated their intention to play at speed, with Rennie's bench selection reportedly designed to support this tempo for the full 80 minutes. South Africa's Rassie Erasmus has responded, with assistant coach Felix Jones highlighting alleged infringements by New Zealand in tour matches.
Despite South Africa's recent dominance, including winning five of the last six meetings and the 2023 World Cup final, there is a suspicion that Erasmus may be planning to challenge the All Blacks by playing at a high tempo, rather than relying solely on their traditional set-piece strength. South Africa will be without captain Siya Kolisi, but Paul de Villiers, Grant Williams, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Damian Willemse are available.
New Zealand, under Rennie, appears to have regained clarity in their play, with Ruben Love at fly-half and Damian McKenzie returning from injury. Their tour matches against South African provinces saw them brush aside the Sharks and Bulls, though the Stormers provided a challenge for an hour.