Blair says All Blacks see route to beat Springboks in Ellis Park Test

New Zealand attack coach Mike Blair says the All Blacks have developed a plan to overcome South Africa in Saturday’s opening Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test at Ellis Park. The visitors are confident in their preparation after working towards the series for several months.

Blair said New Zealand understand the main strengths South Africa will bring, including defensive pressure, aerial play and control of territory. The All Blacks also believe there are areas they can target, although they expect those openings to be less frequent than in many other matches.

That places a premium on execution whenever New Zealand reach attacking positions. Blair said the team has been concentrating on its skills and decision-making, with both areas being reviewed and trained during preparations for the Test.

The All Blacks have spent the early part of their South African tour combining Test preparations with matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Vodacom Bulls. Blair acknowledged that managing two groups during the tour has required considerable coaching time, including separate planning, match reviews and preparation work.

He also said those fixtures had given the squad useful evidence from competitive situations. Instead of assessing only training exercises, the coaches have been able to examine real match moments and identify what must improve, as well as the methods required to make those improvements.

The demands of the tour have been heavy, but Blair said the players had maintained their enthusiasm and energy. New Zealand now turn their attention fully to the Test series, beginning with the Ellis Park meeting against the Springboks.