Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Siya Kolisi and Ox Nche are the only injury concerns in the Springbok camp ahead of Saturday's Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series opener against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, with both players' availability hinging on how they come through Monday's training session in Johannesburg.

"The only two doubtful players are Siya and Ox, who are coming along well," Erasmus said at Monday's media conference. "I wouldn't say either is confirmed out, but if they get through training today it could go either way. Apart from those two, everybody else is available."

Erasmus will name his team on Thursday.

The Bok coach also pushed back firmly on suggestions that South African teams have been deliberately slowing down play. Drawing on their last two Tests against New Zealand — a defeat in Auckland and a win in Wellington — he argued the tactics have been mischaracterised. "There are always three truths: New Zealand's truth, the truth people believe, and our truth," he said. "We believe there's a certain way to win big games and we think it will be a grind."

SA Rugby laws advisor Jaco Peyper added technical clarity on the set-piece time laws, noting the 30-second clock begins only from when the referee places his foot to mark the spot, not from the whistle. "You can do whatever you want inside those 30 seconds. There's nothing in the law that says you can't idle before the mark is given," Peyper said. He also pointed out that slowing the game through repeated breakdown or maul infringements is equally a factor, and expressed confidence in the appointed match officials to apply the laws consistently.

Erasmus acknowledged that several Springboks will face the All Blacks for the first time on Saturday and spoke to the significance of the occasion. "Some guys will face the All Blacks for the first time, and they've heard from their teammates how intense it is," he said, adding a call for Ellis Park to replicate the atmosphere generated in Cape Town earlier in the season, where the crowd's noise during the haka set a notable standard.