All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie pinpointed line-out disruption and breakdown speed as the primary concerns his side must address before Saturday's third Test against the Springboks at FNB Stadium.
New Zealand suffered their first defeat under Rennie at DHL Stadium, losing 33-26 to level the Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1. Despite outscoring the Springboks four tries to three, the visitors struggled at set-piece, losing three line-outs in critical areas as Eben Etzebeth proved a menace in the air.
"We had 18 line-outs and won 15, although a couple of those were a bit scrappy," Rennie said. "Obviously the Boks had a pretty good [disruption] plan, and we had to adjust how they're defending our line-out, so yes, it's a work-on."
Rennie emphasised that continuity remains central to New Zealand's game plan but acknowledged the challenge of securing quick ball against South Africa's defensive wall. "The speed of the ball is important to us," he explained. "Angus [Gardner] is the type of referee who manages the breakdown a lot; he spends a lot of time telling the guys to get out and so on, so they were able to slow a bit of our ball down too."
The All Blacks coach also highlighted the need to counter the Springboks' kicking game, which he described as excellent. "We're going to have to deal with their kicking game," Rennie said. "We've got a plan [to nullify that]; we've got guys coming back. They were able to sneak around the side and contest and win stuff that gives them a little bit more continuity and puts more pressure on us."
With the series poised at one apiece, Saturday's encounter at FNB Stadium will set up a decider in Baltimore in two weeks' time.