Ardie Savea arrives at Ellis Park on Saturday refreshed and eager, having been held back from the early franchise legs of the Greatest Rivalry tour by head coach Dave Rennie — a decision that drew some scrutiny from New Zealand supporters given Savea's captaincy role.
Rennie's rationale was straightforward: Savea had come off a 19-month stretch that ran from Super Rugby through a sabbatical stint in Japan, and the tour opener provided an opportunity to rest him. Savea missed all three warm-up matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls before rejoining the squad a week out from the first Test.
Saturday marks his 110th cap and 18th appearance against the Springboks — a fixture he says consistently takes players to uncomfortable places.
"It takes you to places where you can kind of question yourself, but as an All Black, that's where you kind of want to be," Savea said on Friday. "The stakes are high, there's a lot of hype and edge around it, but I think that brings the best out of all players."
Savea described leading the side out at Ellis Park as a "goosebumps" occasion, and was clear-eyed about what the Boks bring. "They are at the peak of their game. Whoever is putting on that Springbok jersey, they bring the edge, they bring the physicality, and if they want, they've got the firepower out wide to play that sort of game."
Discipline was another thread running through his pre-match comments. With the All Blacks having shown improvement in that area during the tour, Savea stressed the importance of not gifting the Boks penalties — a recurring pressure point in this rivalry.
On the time away from the environment, Savea was candid: "It was one of those things that you don't realise you need until you're in it." He credited the break, spent on school runs and domestic life, for sharpening his hunger ahead of what he regards as one of rugby's marquee series.
Savea also pointed to the significance of the first Test result in setting the tone for the next four weeks, though when pressed on whether the series would push his squad to new levels, his answer was characteristically measured: "I hope so, we'll find out tomorrow."