New Zealand have vowed to pick the best team available for their last warm-up game against the Springboks at Twickenham on Friday night.
Twickenham will play host to one of international rugby’s deepest rivalries when the Springboks and All Blacks clash in a final hit-out before the World Cup gets underway in France.
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It will be the first time since the 2015 World Cup semi-finals that the two teams face-off in London, with over 70 000 tickets sold for Friday’s Test.
New Zealand claimed a 35-20 victory against South Africa in the Rugby Championship and may be tempted to wrap a few of their key stars in cotton wool for the World Cup opener against the hosts on 8 September.
However, forwards coach Jason Ryan told the All Blacks website that they will go full strength on Friday and look forward to a good, physical contest with the Springboks.
“The Springboks, and Twickenham, it’s pretty unique so we’re looking forward to that,” said Ryan
“If you are hesitant in anything you do, that’s when your injuries happen, so that’s how we’re going to prepare. We’ve shown plenty of our game, as other teams have. You’ve still got to get those momentum shifts and those big pressure moments which are quite important in Test matches, especially at this time of year heading into that World Cup which is right here now.”
The Springboks are coming off a record-breaking win over Wales in Cardiff, where captain Siya Kolisi made his long-awaited return from a knee injury.
“He’s a spiritual leader, and it was great to see him back out there, to be fair,” said Ryan. “Potentially, it could be his last World Cup, and he’s obviously put a lot of work in to get himself right, and it’s a real credit to him.
“He’s someone they look to under pressure and they get a lot of energy from him. They’ve got a lot of trust in him as a captain and he’s won a World Cup for them too.”
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