Erasmus warns third Springboks-All Blacks Test will be most intense yet as series hangs in balance

Rassie Erasmus has warned that the third Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will be the most intense instalment of the series yet, with both sides level at one win apiece and the chance to seize a commanding 2-1 lead.

The South Africa head coach made the prediction after naming his side for the weekend’s clash, arguing that the stakes attached to this fixture — the final match on South African soil before the series moves to the United States — will generate a different atmosphere entirely from the two fiercely contested Tests that preceded it.

“This game is going to be equally, if not more intense than the last two given the fact that the team that wins this match will be two games up in the series, which will make the clash in the USA the decider or game that could see the series finish in a draw, so there will be a different vibe around this match,” Erasmus said.

The World Cup-winning coach also pointed to the venue itself as a factor. FNB Stadium holds around 80,000 supporters, and Erasmus suggested the noise from the crowd and vuvuzelas would create a unique challenge for both sets of players, many of whom have never played there before.

“We are excited that we will be playing at the FNB Stadium, where on a good day there is an 80,000-strong crowd, and that will be a new and exciting experience for our players because most of these players have never run onto the field there,” he said. “With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field, so we are all thrilled about this occasion.”

Erasmus was careful not to frame the occasion purely as an opportunity, emphasising the pressure it places on his own side as much as on Dave Rennie’s All Blacks. “Make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the two top teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series, so we know what we have to do, and composure and accuracy are going to be vital for both sides.”

A win for either team in Johannesburg would leave the fourth and final Test in the United States as either a series decider or a dead rubber, raising the stakes of Sunday’s encounter considerably.