'Fine margins’: Savea warns All Blacks against giving Boks a sniff in Soweto clash
INTERVIEW: All Blacks captain Ardie Savea expects the third Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at FNB Stadium in Soweto to be decided by the finest margins.
Savea will lead out a rejigged New Zealand outfit that’s eager to bounce back after going down to the Springboks 26-33 in the second Test in Cape Town.
With the series tied at 1-1, the victorious team on Saturday will head to Baltimore for the series decider with their tails up.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Savea highlighted the magnitude of the clash, emphasising that the All Blacks want nothing less than victory.
“I think we all know the importance of this game coming up,” he said.
“It’s like the State of Origin; it’s game three, 1-1 here in Africa, so it’s a big one.
“If we do lose, we can’t win the series, and the best case is a draw. We understand as All Blacks we always want to win; we don’t want to go any less.
“We’ve done everything we can this week to prepare; it’s about us as players turning up tomorrow and actioning that.”
Continues below…
Looking back to last week’s clash, the skipper admitted they lost the key battles in crucial moments.
This week, despite a handful of changes made to the side, he expects his team to be clinical and avoid giving the Boks any opportunities to seize control.
“We know how we want to play, and South Africa knows how they want to play.
“The game comes down to fine margins, and I think we didn’t win those last week, and the Springboks took advantage of that.
“We’ve got to be really clinical, accurate and disciplined. We can’t give a big hand up to the Springboks because they’re world champions for a reason. If you do that, you aren’t coming back.”
When quizzed about his thoughts on Rassie Erasmus changing his front row an hour before the game, Savea said it didn’t have any effect on his team.
In fact, he hinted that the All Blacks expect the unexpected from the Boks, and this weekend won’t be any different.
“You can expect anything,” he added.
“One thing you do know is that they gain momentum through their box kicks; they are real class at their set-piece.
“Their game plan is really simple but effective. If we don’t win those areas of the game, it’s going to be a tough night for us.
“We know the threats that they pose; it’s how we can turn those into opportunities for us.”
Continues below…
The All Blacks will also be eager to make a fast start in Soweto.
Last week, they conceded a try within two minutes of play after Jessie Kriel barged his way over from close range.
While they have started slowly in recent matches, the All Blacks have tended to dominate the final quarter of games.
Savea believes it is all about finding the right balance and playing for the full 80 minutes.
“The last thing you want to do is start well, and then you finish badly.
“I guess the thing for us is playing for 80 minutes; there’s a lot of start-and-stop play in the game, and it’s about winning those moments and building momentum consecutively.
“We know once the Boks gain momentum and win moment after moment, it becomes tough to get that back.”
