New Zealand's second-half performance against Scotland at Murrayfield revealed a tactical evolution shaped by their encounters with the Springboks, former South Africa coach Nick Mallett has observed.
The All Blacks held a narrow 24-21 advantage at the interval before shutting out the hosts after the break, employing a power-based approach that bore striking similarities to the methods South Africa used during the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
"They have learned from playing us for four games, they have become more direct," Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast. "I thought some of their carries were very physical, they are a very physical side on defence as well. Their driving maul was good and with their scrum, they did manage to get a defensive penalty on their put-in."
The shift towards set-piece dominance and physicality represents a departure from New Zealand's traditional running game, though Mallett noted their attacking prowess remains intact. "Their lines of running are always excellent but their driving maul was good," he added. "They're taking it a little bit more seriously which is a good thing, as well as being very good at scoring tries."
The Springboks currently lead the Nations Championship southern hemisphere pool on points differential, with both sides unbeaten. South Africa's 59-point victory over Italy in Turin, coupled with New Zealand's 22-point margin against Scotland, has established a 67-point buffer with two matches remaining for each nation.
The world champions face France in Paris before concluding their campaign against Ireland in Dublin, whilst New Zealand prepare to host Wales before travelling to Twickenham.