The All Blacks were looking desperate while the leaders in rugby union's Tri-Nations series, South Africa, were in buoyant mood during yesterday's training sessions.

The two sides meet at Athletic Park on Sunday with New Zealand the underdogs after their defeat by Australia.

Buoyed by their invaluable 14-13 away win against Australia last Saturday, the Springboks breezed through their first training session here.

The All Blacks, in contrast, laboured through a tough session.

Coach John Hart put the squad through a two-hour session which he would normally conduct at the start of the international season.

"I think sometimes the team with confidence is harder to beat," Hart said.

"I'd rather be coaching the team who's got the confidence. I think confidence is important and South Africa's got oodles of that. And no injuries.

"We lose on Saturday and we're out of the Tri-Nations - it's that simple. If South Africa win here, they certainly won't lose both games at home. So there's a bit of resolve here," he said.

South Africa and Australia have never won away matches against the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations.

But the Springboks' victory in Perth has brought the Tri-Nations title within their sights. Captain Gary Teichmann and his fellow loose forward Johan Erasmus believe a win in New Zealand is now possible.

Erasmus said the Springboks left for the two Tri-Nations tests aiming to win one of the two matches.

Their target was initially the All Blacks since the hard men of the team, Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke and Frank Bunce, were no longer in the side.

South Africa had regarded Australia as a better team than the All Blacks. That assessment proved correct when the Wallabies won the opening match of the series against New Zealand in Melbourne.

Teichmann said that result meant the All Blacks would be a harder side to beat on Saturday.