Victor Matfield has suggested the All Blacks displayed a weakness in their 50-19 win over the Vodacom Bulls at the weekend, despite the emphatic scoreline. The former South Africa captain said he "saw something" in Dave Rennie's side that could be exploited when the Springboks host New Zealand at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones said on Tuesday that both teams would be well prepared for the opening Test of the Castle Lager Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. The sides will meet four times in succession, with matches scheduled for Johannesburg, Cape Town, Johannesburg again, and Baltimore in the United States.
"I think both teams are going to feel really prepared going into the game," Jones said. "New Zealand have had their franchise games, and we've had Argentina for some players, while a group of players remained behind in South Africa to do specific work. I don't think any preparation really replicates the level of intensity you're going to experience when New Zealand plays South Africa. But I think both teams would say going into this game that they feel prepared."
Jones noted consistent patterns across the All Blacks' three franchise fixtures against the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls. He highlighted significant shifts in their approach, including changes to kicking volume, ball retention, phase count, and possession time, suggesting a clear tactical identity under Rennie's coaching.