'Discipline crucial against South Africa' - New Zealand coach Scott Robertson
New Zealand will need to maintain composure in the intense atmosphere of Ellis Park on Saturday as they aim to defeat world champions South Africa at one of the latter’s stronghold venues, giving new coach Scott Robertson a morale boost early in his tenure.
The All Blacks have had a mixed start to their Rugby Championship campaign, suffering a 38-30 defeat to Argentina in Wellington before bouncing back with a dominant 42-10 win over the same team a week later in Auckland.
Facing a confident Springboks team, who have secured back-to-back bonus-point victories over Australia, this will be a significant challenge as South Africa seeks a third consecutive win against New Zealand.
Their last encounter was the Rugby World Cup final in Paris last year, where South Africa narrowly won 12-11 to secure a record fourth world title.
"The last time we played against the Springboks, there were small margins in that game and we missed a couple of kicks," said Robertson.
"That is a reflection of how tight these games are over history. At the back end (of the game) you are usually not far from each other.
"Discipline and set-piece penalties will be important. Give away an offside or a collapsed maul and momentum can change quickly. Those match-ups are important to keep pressure on the opponent."
