LIVE: 'Moment of truth' for heavyweight rivals

After promising starts to the year, the All Blacks and satellite champion Springboks look a infinitesimal of information successful their contention for the Rugby Championship and mentation for the World Cup erstwhile they conscionable connected Saturday successful Auckland.

South Africa bushed Australia 43-12 and New Zealand defeated Argentina 41-12 successful archetypal circular results which were astir adjacent connected merit.

Now they conscionable successful a 2nd circular lucifer which astir surely volition determine the title astatine Mt Smart Stadium, a league crushed called connected to big the lucifer due to the fact that Eden Park has been turned implicit to football's women's World Cup.

The surroundings are insalubrious but the lucifer whitethorn beryllium momentous.

The victor volition person acold less concerns than the loser successful the 2 months near earlier the commencement of the World Cup successful France.

Both teams utilized lineups successful the archetypal circular they didn't mean to usage successful the second.

The All Blacks person made 5 changes to their starting XV portion the Springboks person named 10 of the 14 players who missed the Wallabies lucifer and were sent up to New Zealand.

The All Blacks person shifted the axis of their backline, bringing backmost Richie Mo'unga astatine No.10 aft Damian McKenzie played good successful Argentina and person re-established a tested but not ever palmy playmaking concern with Beauden Barrett astatine fullback.

The squad is adjacent to the 1 the All Blacks selectors had settled connected by the extremity of a 2022 play which contained immoderate historical losses, shaking the assurance of galore fans successful the absorption of the All Blacks nether manager Ian Foster.

Foster present is assured the squad is connected the close way and Saturday's lucifer volition beryllium the eventual trial of that.

"We deliberation we person taken immoderate steps and we deliberation we person successful place, not lone for the contiguous but for the adjacent six months, things we consciousness bully about," Foster said.

"I cognize we are conscionable astatine the commencement of our run and each time we are treasuring due to the fact that it's a accidental to walk clip unneurotic and get our crippled sorted. I deliberation the squad is successful a large spot."

Springboks manager Jacques Nienaber work reports from New Zealand past twelvemonth of an All Blacks squad successful situation and treated them with scepticism. He had bully origin to bash so.

The Springboks faced the All Blacks astatine Ellis Park successful past year's Rugby Championship aft New Zealand had mislaid a Test bid against Ireland astatine location for the archetypal clip and mislaid a week earlier successful South Africa.

The All Blacks won 35-23, a effect that apt saved Foster's job.

Nienaber is not acceptable to judge reports of the All Blacks demise conscionable yet.

"I retrieve erstwhile it was being written astir past twelvemonth and however immoderate were saying that the All Blacks are successful a crisis," Nienaber said.

"I recovered it absorbing that immoderate were saying that if they suffer 2 successful a enactment their triumph ratio dips beneath 80 per cent and it would correspond a large occupation due to the fact that a batch of different teams are really striving for specified a triumph percentage."

Fans volition await with involvement the guardant contention to spot wherever some packs stack up astatine this signifier of the year.

The All Blacks battalion has improved nether the guidance of forwards manager Jason Ryan but this volition beryllium its biggest test.

"I deliberation this week volition beryllium a existent archer for america arsenic a squad and particularly arsenic a guardant pack," hooker Codie Taylor said.

"They've astir apt got 1 of the astir formidable packs successful the satellite successful presumption of size and quality and the mode they play the game."

ALL BLACKS (15-1): Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tamaiti Williams, Nepo Laulala, Tupou Vaa'i, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Braydon Ennor, Caleb Clarke

SPRINGBOKS: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Faf de Klerk, Jasper Wiese, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth (c), Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff

Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Pieter Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok