By Jamie Wall of RNZ

THE FACTS:

• The All Blacks face the Springboks at Eden Park with high tension and key injuries.
• Finlay Christie is expected to start, with Xavier Roe as a potential backup.
• Ardie Savea will play his 100th test, with key decisions around the loose forwards and backline.

This match against the Springboks on Saturday at Eden Park might not be a World Cup final, but it feels about as close as you can get. Only these two sides can generate this kind of tension right now, with the added pressure of the Eden Park streak making it the most anticipated test of the year.

So who runs out for the All Blacks? And what are the main talking points?

Halfback

Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham and now Kyle Preston are either officially out or under injury clouds, which leaves Finlay Christie and maybe even Xavier Roe as the duo to play in perhaps the most pivotal position on the field. The Springbok gameplan revolves heavily around their nines, and while containing them defensively will be the loose forwards’ job, Christie’s ability around the ruck will be tested by Grant Williams and potentially Faf de Klerk.

For his part, the Tasman halfback didn’t think he’d be running out as an All Blacks starter if you’d asked him a month ago.

“Definitely not, I thought I’d still be down in Nelson. But that’s the way that footy goes, it’s awesome” he said.

Does Leicester go straight back in?

All Blacks winger Leicester Fainga'anuku makes a break at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Photo / SmartFrame

Leicester Fainga’anuku’s fast-track recall gives Scott Robertson a bit to work with in how his backline is looking. If Fainga’anuku does go straight in, he can help solve a bit of a problem on the wing, where All Black strike power is feeling far more flat than usual.

Or, Fainga’anuku can move into the centres, where some of the spluttering attack issues are originating. More likely though is that he makes his return via the bench, where the Tasman utility can simply go where he’s needed.

What happens with the loose forwards

One thing is for certain: Ardie Savea will run out to a huge ovation as a starting player in his 100th test match. But what jersey does he wear? Not that it matters a great deal for him, because his role won’t really change, but it will affect the others in the loose forward group.

This one feels like it will come down to whether Robertson wants Du’Plessis Kirifi’s breakdown ability or Simon Parker’s size, or either of the two at all. Tupou Vaa’i and Wallace Sititi are both definitely playing, with Vaa’i’s work on the blindside being one of the big success stories of the season so far. Meanwhile, Sititi’s return from injury came via the bench, which is very much a situation that Robertson may favour if Parker does indeed start.

Front row

The area that has definitely hit their KPIs the most over the past two seasons is up front, with Fletcher Newell one of the form players right now. He presents a surprising situation for Robertson, who probably thought Tamaiti Williams would be his automatic pick for loosehead prop. It’s a good problem to have, especially since Williams has come back from injury lately.

Manufacturing what they want

Given this one is likely to be incredibly tight, the makeup of the team has to be around the ability to get the All Blacks into the right part of the field at the business end of the game. So whoever is on the bench will be coming on with firm instructions around set piece and kicking. Damian McKenzie proved just how good he is in a tight test match when he came on at Twickenham last year, slotting a sideline conversion that was ultimately the difference between the All Blacks and England.

– RNZ