Tension with South Africa fuels prospect of better play, says All Blacks captain

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By Mark Gleeson

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 21 : The increasing tension between hosts South Africa and the touring New Zealand team ahead of Saturday's first test will serve to get the best out of the two sides, All Blacks captain Ardie Savea said on the eve of the clash.

The match at Ellis Park, where the Springboks narrowly beat New Zealand to win the World Cup in extra time in 1995, is the first of four tests in the ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ series which sees the Kiwis embarking on a full-scale tour of South Africa for the first time in 30 years.

“The stakes are high and there's a lot of hype and edge around the game but, for me, I think that brings the best out of all players," Savea told a press conference on Friday.

“We respect the Springboks, they’re a real class outfit but also I believe we’re going to have just as much quality. Hopefully, we go out there and put on a spectacle.” 

There has been increasing antagonism in the build-up to Saturday’s game with both camps using their press conferences to try and score a few psychological points.

New Zealand have complained that South African sides slow the pace down and the Boks retorted with claims of illegal breakdown tactics by the All Blacks, which has served to drive up the social media hype around the contest.

Savea said they would look to feed off what is expected to be an antagonistic crowd at the iconic Johannesburg venue.

“All that noise can either go both ways. You let it drown you out and you're like a deer in the headlights or you can love those moments.

“We know what's coming and we know what we need to do but we as All Blacks love those moments, but it's not going to be easy at all,” he said.

The 32-year-old Savea did not play in the