Kurt-Lee v Caleb Clarke: All Blacks coach Foster unbothered by Bok changes

In Mbombela

Kurt-Lee Arendse is an unknown quantity for the All Blacks, but their coach Ian Foster is more focused on the Springbok collective, as most coaches do.

He has tasked Caleb Clarke with looking after Arendse, for Saturday's first Rugby Championship Test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at the Mbombela Stadium.

The two wingers will be opposing each other for the first time, while hometown hero Faf de Klerk gets to start, alongside hooker Malcolm Marx, who'll be starting in his 50th Test.

READ | All Blacks coach Foster goads his charges to man up: 'The Boks are not one-trick ponies'

Foster didn't view their returns as major changes, but looked at the longer term plan the Boks are putting in place for next year's title defence in France.

"Not a lot, really, but in terms of the changes, I don't think Faf coming back in is a change," Foster said.

"He's an outstanding nine and has been a big part of their game. With Marx starting and not coming off the bench, that's probably not too significant.

"You still need to deal with him at some point, but you do know that they have a formula and they're trying to keep the same group that they've had right through to the World Cup.

"When you change one or two people, it's not going to make that much of a difference because whoever is out there is going to have a great game and play well.

"The nice thing is that we're going to have to be at our best to deal with it."

Quite the unique reflex & coordination process used by the @AllBlacks as they prepared for Saturday's first Test against the @Springboks at the Mbombela Stadium.@Sport24news pic.twitter.com/QaT36URteJ

Clarke, son of former All Black and Auckland Blues player Eroni, hasn't added to his five Test caps from 2020 due to