Tri-Nations/New Zealand v S Africa Dunedin, Sat, 8am On TV: Sky Sports 2:South Africa face their most daunting challenge of this year's Tri-Nations when they play New Zealand in Dunedin tomorrow.
Victory will hand the title to the Springboks for the second year running but a New Zealand win will leave the All Blacks needing only to beat Australia in the last round to regain the Southern Hemisphere's annual championship.
South Africa have an imposing record at home but have managed just one win over the All Blacks in New Zealand in the past 24 years and have never won at Dunedin's Carisbrook stadium, the so-called "House of Pain".
"We're going to Dunedin to win the Tri-Nations, not to defend it," skipper John Smit said.
"We do not want to wait another week to see what will happen in the match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies."
The South Africans buried one of their travel hoodoos when they won 22-19 in Australia last weekend but that victory came at a high price. Winger Breyton Paulse was banned for three weeks for kicking Wallabies frontrow Al Baxter and reserve prop Gurthro Steenkamp broke his hand, forcing Springboks coach Jake White to reshuffle his winning combination.
Tough-tackling centre De Wet Barry was added to the starting side while Jean de Villiers moved from the midfield to the wing.
White has made no secret of the fact the key to the Springboks' success in the past two seasons has been their watertight defence and brilliant counterattacking but he suspects they will have to be more multi-dimensional against the flamboyant New Zealanders.
"We need to be as ruthless with the ball in hand as we are on defence," he said. "We are almost content waiting for turnovers . . . and we don't seem to have the same switched-on approach when we have the play."
New Zealand coach Graham Henry has handed the number 10 shirt to the versatile Leon MacDonald, who is better known as a fullback. It is a big gamble but Henry said his team were more concerned about dealing with South Africa's successful tactics.
"They rely on the opposition turning the ball over and then score tries from their mistakes," he said. "It's not a bad policy. It's clearly working for them, so why would they change it?"
NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina; Gear, Umaga (captain), Mauger, Rokocoko; MacDonald, Weepu; So'oialo, McCaw, Collins, Williams, Jack, Hayman, Mealamu, Woodcock. Replacements: Witcombe, Somerville, Ryan, Lauaki, Senio, McAlister, Howlett.
SOUTH AFRICA: Montgomery; De Villiers, Fourie, Barry, Habana; Pretorious, Januarie; Van Niekerk, Smith, Burger, Matfield, Botha, Van der Linde, Smit (captain), Du Randt. Replacements: Shimage, Andrews, Van den Berg, Cronje, Du Preez, Van der Westhuyzen, Joubert.
Referee: Joel Jutge (France).
