New Zealand captain Ardie Savea insists the threat of adverse weather will not force the All Blacks to alter their game plan for Saturday's third Test against the Springboks at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
The South African Weather Service has forecast a 60 per cent chance of rain and thunderstorms during the match, but Savea told reporters on Friday that conditions would not dictate approach. "That will not affect how we play. We need to be a little bit better in all areas than last week to challenge the Springboks," he said.
The series stands level at 1–1 after New Zealand claimed the opening Test 33–16 at Ellis Park before South Africa responded with a 33–26 victory in Cape Town last Saturday. The All Blacks fell behind inside two minutes in that second encounter when Jesse Kriel crossed, and Savea acknowledged his side cannot afford a repeat. "We dare not give a helping hand to the Springboks because they are world champions for a reason," the 32-year-old number eight said. "If we do that, we will be in big trouble."
Discipline has emerged as a pivotal factor across the opening two Tests. South Africa conceded 10 penalties in Johannesburg but tightened significantly in Cape Town, where they gave away just four compared to New Zealand's 14. Cheslin Kolbe converted four penalty goals in that second Test as the Springboks capitalised on All Blacks errors.
Savea, who has 111 Test caps, described Saturday's fixture as one of the biggest challenges of his career. "This is a huge match," he said. "We are all square at 1–1 in the series so whoever wins on Saturday moves ahead with one match to go. That is the position we want to be in." The series concludes in Baltimore on 12 September.