All to play for in Soweto

While the Springboks have already made their way back to Johannesburg in preparation, the All Blacks have chosen to stay a couple of extra days in Cape Town.

The big talking points of the week are once again scrums, attack and just how to go about achieving a crucial 2-1 series lead before the action heads over to Baltimore.

"We had big improvements from test one to test two,” said assistant coach Mike Blair.

“We also understand that you're not always gonna get the situation where you can play tempo the whole time. So having the ability to balance our game is important... We still want to play with tempo, we want to move around their pack, but there are different ways to fatigue an opposition as well."

It hasn’t gone unnoticed that despite losing the second test over the weekend 33-26, the All Blacks scored four tries to three and overall have outscored their opponents nine to four overall.

“I think backing our game that we've been able to execute over the last couple of months and trusting what we've been doing, I think that would be the main thing,” said Blair.

WATCH: All Blacks Attack Coach Mike Blair and Midfielder Jordie Barrett provide an update from camp

Meanwhile, Jordie Barrett left no doubt about the challenge that awaits them in Soweto.

“The blueprint that got (the Springboks) a victory in the weekend was their power game. And they went to the air a lot, so we're gonna have to tidy up a lot of stuff around the air, winning the scraps on the ground, and trying to minimise their entries into our half so they can't get their power game on. And then getting our own game on, too, trying to use the ball within reason."

In total, the Springboks kicked 35 times to the All Blacks’ 23, which is about the average for both teams this season. Without giving too much away to the assembled media at the team hotel. Blair was adamant that when the All Blacks do it right, it’s an integral part of their game plan.

"I've talked before about how you use the kicking game to destructure a defense, and having variety in your kicking game to be able to do that... We know it's an important part of international rugby, how you destructure defense, so it's an area that we're looking at."

WATCH: Leroy Carter on what it is like to mark Cheslin Kolbe

Barrett likened the situation to a game of chess.

"It certainly feels like a knockout stage in a World Cup at the moment. And it's a game of chess really. Like we beat the Boks week one and they change a few things and we try to change a few things. We lose, the series is 1-0, so it's about trying to implement the best plan possible to try and get a result on Saturday, and they'll be doing the same."
Of course, neither former halfback Blair or midfielder Barrett are in much of a position to comment on the big talking point of the series so far, which is scrums. It’s fair to say the Springboks have held dominance in the set piece so far, with the focus on it now almost a national obsession in South Africa after Rassie Erasmus’s post match comments on Saturday night.

However, it’s worth noting that this is not new. In fact, the discussion around scrums and the way they are done between these two teams goes all the way back to the first series they played, but arguably reached its pinnacle in 1956. That year saw the Springboks tour New Zealand, with the All Blacks famously bringing prop and heavyweight boxing champion Kevin Skinner out of retirement to ‘deal’ to South African props Jaap Bekker and Chris Koch.

Over 90,000 fans expected at third Test

Back in the present day, the All Blacks will return to a stadium they’ve got a two win, no loss record at on Saturday. FNB Stadium is the largest on the continent, with room for 94,000, and is the usual home of iconic football club Kaizer Chiefs.

 ”That's awesome for our guys, we love that,” said Blair.

“We love playing in front of a big crowd, showing everyone what we can do and expressing ourselves.”

FNB Stadium was the scene of one of the All Blacks’ great escapes. Back in 2010, Ma’a Nonu famously lost a boot during a tackle attempt on the last play of a tied up test against the Springboks. With one foot only clad in a sock, Nonu managed to race upfield and put Israel Dagg in the clear to score the winning try.

The other test match between the two was a slightly less dramatic 32-16 win to the All Blacks two years later, before the fixture relocated to Ellis Park for three years in a row.

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