All Blacks vow to 'double down' on Rennie's attacking blueprint in series-deciding third Boks Test

New Zealand will take an uncompromising approach into Saturday’s third Test against South Africa at FNB Stadium in Soweto, with assistant coach Tamati Ellison declaring the All Blacks will “double down” on head coach Dave Rennie’s attacking philosophy rather than adopt a more conservative strategy after last weekend’s defeat.

The Springboks levelled the Greatest Rivalry four-Test series at one apiece with a 33-26 victory at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, ending what had been a perfect start for Rennie’s side following their 33-16 win in the series opener in Johannesburg. The result means this weekend’s clash at altitude in Soweto has taken on the weight of a decider, with a series finale in Baltimore to follow.

“I think it’s all about that; the way that Rens has coached,” Ellison told media after Tuesday morning’s training session. “I think we’ve seen the optimism in the game, the ability to play, the hard work to get set, to take those opportunities. That’s not going away. We’ll double down on that this week and hopefully nail some more of those opportunities.”

Ellison, who joined the All Blacks touring squad specifically to help manage an expanded group and previously served as defence coach under Scott Robertson, pointed to missed opportunities in Cape Town as the primary area for improvement. New Zealand beat 40 Springbok tackles across the night and scored more tries than their hosts, yet still came away on the wrong side of the scoreline.

“We gave ourselves plenty of chances and obviously scored more tries than them, but we felt like we left a few out there,” Ellison said. The All Blacks were able to move the ball wide to their wingers with regularity, but struggled to convert that ball-carrying into consistent line breaks.

On the defensive side, Ellison acknowledged there remains work to do, while drawing some encouragement from how his side handled South Africa through the middle of the field. “We’re getting there. Obviously the start wasn’t ideal. There have been a lot of instances where we have defended them well in the middle of the field and turned them to their kicking game. So I think continuing to build off that, and then having the skill sets to deal with their kick game will be important.”

With no midweek fixture this week — a rarity on a demanding tour schedule — Ellison reported that the squad trained with notable energy on Tuesday. “The boys have trained well; it’s the first week in a while we haven’t had a midweek game, so there was plenty of energy at training. But we’ll build the week, and I’m sure when we arrive at the stadium it’ll definitely feel like a decider.”

The stakes extend well beyond the series itself. A New Zealand victory would leave them one result away from claiming the Greatest Rivalry trophy — a unique piece of silverware that physically splits in two in the event of an overall draw — and would provide a significant confidence boost ahead of next October’s Rugby World Cup.