Morne van den Berg is looking forward to his first Test in Johannesburg on Saturday as the Springboks and All Blacks meet at Soccer City with the four-match series locked at 1-1.
The scrumhalf made his first appearance against New Zealand in Cape Town last weekend, coming on for 25 minutes in a stint he described as largely defensive. "My 25 minutes was mostly defence. I think I had like three rucks, we did a very good job to force our structures on [the breakdowns]," he said at a media conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Van den Berg sees the key to containing New Zealand as systemic rather than player-specific, dismissing the idea of fixating on All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard. "Cam is a very good player, but then you just refer back to your system. As a scrumhalf it's really difficult if your pack is going back, so for us it's just to put more pressure on them as a team rather than focus on him as an individual."
He acknowledged New Zealand's attacking output as the most sustained he has faced in a Bok jersey, but said the Springbok defensive structure provided a reliable framework. "They were definitely the side that attacked the most that I've played against, but the system is there for a reason so if you stay in the system it'll protect you."
The match carries personal significance for Van den Berg beyond the series stakes. A Johannesburg native who attended Linden High School, he made his Lions senior debut at Soccer City in 2020 and has not played international rugby in the city before, having featured in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Durban. "Very excited to play [there]. It's an absolutely incredible stadium."
Van den Berg, who remains unbeaten in nine Springbok appearances, grew up idolising Lions halves Ricky Januarie and Andre Pretorius before developing an admiration for the All Blacks' own glamour. "Growing up, Dan Carter was the rock star of rugby back then. If you're a kid in South Africa you're dreaming of playing for the Boks against the All Blacks — you admire them for their skill and athleticism, but then you also really want to test yourself against them and beat them."