All Blacks v Springboks in focus: Five talking points ahead of clash in Albany
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 16/09/17 8:18am
New Zealand host South Africa in a game of vital importance with regards to the 2017 Rugby Championship on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Action.
With both sides as yet unbeaten, the winner would put themselves in a commanding position to go on and take the title.
The All Blacks have not lost a home game in the Rugby Championship since 2009 and the Springboks are unbeaten in 2017. Here are five key factors which could determine the outcome...
Front-row injuries
One of the main areas of intrigue on Saturday will come at the scrum, with both sides suffering from a spate of prop injuries.
The All Blacks' starting two props, Joe Moody and Owen Franks, are both out injured after serious blows. Franks is out for the season after an Achilles complaint and Moody dislocated his shoulder against Argentina last time out.
Added to that, New Zealand's replacement tighthead for the past number of seasons Charlie Faumuina is now ineligible due to playing in the top 14 with Toulouse.
Kane Hames and Nepo Laulala will start on Saturday as a consequence, as the All Blacks replace a combined 127 caps for eight and two starts in the front-row.
Loosehead Hames was only called back into the squad following Moody's injury, and the 29-year-old has never started a Test before, featuring twice for New Zealand from the bench for a total of 35 minutes in his career.
Wyatt Crockett does provide vastly experienced cover on the bench but he is rapidly approaching 35, while tighthead replacement Ofa Tu'ungafasi, though hugely powerful, is not yet known for his scrummaging ability.
On the Springbok side, Coenie Oosthuizen has impressed in the championship so far on the tighthead side, but is out for the rest of 2017 having suffered a broken arm.
Ruan Dreyer comes in for just his second Test appearance and his battle with Hames should make for fascinating viewing.
Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira again starts at loosehead and is by far and away the most seasoned prop to start on Saturday. Will he make it count and potentially provide the set-piece platform for the Springboks to go and win it?
Lack of Kriel
A core facet to South Africa's revival out of the doldrums of the 2016 season has been their improved work at the breakdown.
Their work both in terms of cleaning out and slowing down opposition ball, combined with conceding fewer turnovers, has been the groundwork for success.
Central to that has been the combination of flankers Jaco Kriel and Siya Kolisi, who have dominated proceedings in most matches they have played together.
As such, Kriel's absence due to a shoulder injury is perhaps the biggest loss to either side ahead of the game.
Dynamic, powerful and an out-and-out fetcher, the flanker's ability to win turnovers and breakdown penalties would have been invaluable in Auckland.
What's more, Kriel has been part of a Brendan Venter defence which has recorded the highest tackle success in the competition to date (87 per cent).
In fact, having made 39 tackles, Kriel tops the tournament statistics himself in this aspect. Put simply, his absence is a colossal blow.
The hugely talented Jean-Luc du Preez comes in but a result of Kriel's injury sees Uzair Cassiem retained at No 8, despite the Cheetahs forward having failed to impress as yet.
Big day for Squire
Only in New Zealand could a backrow forward score the most sensational individual try to turn a game on its head and put in the most superlative display, and then be absent from the 23 the next week.
That is the case for Vaea Fifita, as Steve Hansen puts his faith in Liam Squire to return at blindside and Ardie Savea to provide cover among the replacements.
Fifita's performance against Argentina was a critical aspect to their comeback victory and his absence says more about the strength in depth at the All Blacks' backrow disposal than it does about him.
Outstanding in the championship opener against Australia, Squire will know he needs to put in a monumental performance against the Boks to keep his place.
If not, Hansen could be ruing the fact he didn't reserve a place for Fifita in his ranks.
South Africa the real deal?
Throughout South Africa's return to the top four of the world rugby rankings, the assertion has consistently been labelled against them that they have yet to play a side of real strength.
They may be unbeaten in their six games of the 2017 season to date, but five of those victories have come against France and Argentina.
A France side which has been on the decline for several years as it pales in the shadow of the multi-national Top 14, and one the Boks comfortably whitewashed 3-0 over the summer.
Two more victories have followed in the Rugby Championship over a Pumas side bereft of numerous Europe-based stars as a result of their baffling selection policy.
Last time out, Allister Coetzee's men frustratingly drew 23-23 against Australia in Perth with the game firmly there for the taking.
A poorly executed kicking game badly hindered their efforts and the Boks will need to improve if they are to pull off what would be a superb result in New Zealand.
All Black full-back Damian McKenzie could perhaps be shaken if the 22-year-old is peppered with accurate high balls, but question marks remain over whether fly-half Elton Jantjies is capable of executing such a plan to the required level.
This is South Africa's chance to truly announce their return to the top table of world rugby and shut the doubters up. It should make for an utterly compelling watch.
Team changes
As well as the introduction of Hames at loosehead, Aaron Smith returns at scrum-half for New Zealand with Ryan Crotty replacing Anton Lienert-Brown at outside-centre.
Openside Sam Cane and lock Brodie Retallick join Squire in returning to the pack, while Rieko Ioane is back on the wing at the expense of the injured Israel Dagg.
In addition to the incomings of Dreyer and Du Preez for South Africa, second-row Franco Mostert returns to the starting side to partner captain Eben Etzebeth, with Pieter-Steph du Toit dropping onto the bench.
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Kane Hames, 2 Dane Coles, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 Sam Whitelock, 6 Liam Squire, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Kieran Read.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown.
South Africa: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje; 1 Tendai Mtawarira, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 8 Uzair Cassiem.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Damian de Allende.
