Ellis Park epic: Boks should have All Blacks' number, but 'special' history muddles plot

For the first time since 2009, when Peter de Villiers' legendary vintage claimed the then Tri-Nations title by blanking the New Zealanders 3-0, South Africa go into a Test against the All Blacks as overwhelming favourites.

It's a tag that sits uncomfortably with the Boks, ostensibly because it runs the risk of breeding complacency, but also because it's simply not in the national team's DNA over generations of players.

Not that it's stopped an expectant rugby public from adopting far loftier expectations when the two teams meet at Ellis Park for a Rugby Championship battle that should ensure another compelling entry is written into the annals of a 101-year tussle.

And their sentiments are understandable against the backdrop of an opposition finding itself in a compromised position that's dominating discourse back in New Zealand.

The darlings of world rugby, praised for their enduring excellence since belatedly breaking their World Cup hoodoo at home back in 2011 and the manner in which they've done so, are well and truly stuck in a slump.

Last week's reverse wasn't an isolated incident; it's one that forms part of recent record of five losses from six starts and points to longer-term shortcomings.

"For all the intent [shown in Nelspruit], the same old problems have resurfaced," former Kiwi halfback and pundit Justin Marshall told SENZ. 

"When you look at all the areas the All Blacks struggled in on last year's end-of-year tour already, and then against the Irish, they reared their ugly heads again. It's like, well, 'how come is this not getting fixed?'."

Compounding the situation is the unexpectedly severe backlash against head coach Ian Foster, whose current 64% win percentage is the worst of any New Zealand mentor in the