New Zealand will look to end South Africa’s Rugby Championship title defence on Saturday in a crunch match in Wellington where both sides have put their faith in raw talent to thrive under pressure.
After seeing off the Springboks 24-17 at Eden Park, Scott Robertson’s All Blacks lead the table on 10 points and can put the third-placed visitors out of contention with two rounds to spare.
Robertson’s tactics and selections have not always won acclaim but few could fault the performance in Auckland where the hosts got the jump on the Springboks with a fast start and then beat them at their own kicking game in rainy conditions.
With clearer weather forecast for Saturday night, Robertson has added a touch of flair, starting 22-year-old Noah Hotham at scrumhalf and picking uncapped Leroy Carter on the wing in place of the dumped Rieko Ioane.
Carter, who represented New Zealand in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics, earns his test debut having come a long way in a short time.
The 26-year-old made his Super Rugby debut for the Waikato Chiefs in February and finished his first season in the professional ranks with nine tries.
Branded “the fastest in New Zealand” by Robertson, Carter’s promotion makes him the ninth All Blacks debutant of the season.
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus is also looking to spark his team with youthful energy, giving 22-year-old fullback Ethan Hooker a first start and axing Willie le Roux after the 36-year-old’s muddled game at Eden Park.
Mercurial 23-year-old Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been rewarded with the number 10 jersey, edging out veteran playmaker Handre Pollard.
“We all know a lot of players didn’t perform well, and plenty of coaches, myself included, didn’t coach well last week,” said Erasmus.
“One positive was how the game ended. The guys who came on brought energy and fight.”
Another defeat to arch-rivals New Zealand would go down like a lead balloon on the home front and raise questions about whether the ageing Springboks’ golden era is over after back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.
But Erasmus is confident his team can bounce back at Wellington Regional Stadium where they have a solid record in recent outings.
South Africa held the All Blacks 16-16 in their last visit during the 2019 Rugby Championship, a year after upsetting them in a 36-34 classic.
“We need a top-class performance to ensure that we are in contention to win the (title),” said Erasmus.
“We know where we went wrong last week and what we must fix.”