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Christchurch - All Blacks pivot Beauden Barrett says having faced wounded Springboks before the New Zealanders know how difficult they could be to contain.
Heading into Saturday's Test in Christchurch, the All Blacks were not buying into comments by critics that the Boks would somehow be cannon fodder for the world champions.
"We know how much they'll be hurting and that's dangerous for us so we have to, from the first minute, have our intensity right and be ready to match that," Barrett told the All Blacks' official website.
"We've faced it before."
For All Blacks inside centre Ryan Crotty there was a special feeling about playing the Springboks, and even better to be starting against them in his home town.
"The Springboks are a wounded beast at the moment and we know they are going to bring intensity from the start on Saturday," he said.
And having already been pitted against the Lions halfback combination of scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and flyhalf Elton Jantjies, he was well aware of what they were capable of.
They were likely to continue playing the expansive rugby the Lions had played and that would be good because it was a style of rugby he liked to play as well.
Of Jantjies, Crotty said: "He's got a great skill set, he can kick, he can run, he's got a good off-loading game so he can be difficult if we don't contain him."
Saturday’s Test is scheduled for 09:35.
Teams:
New Zealand
15 Ben Smith 14 Israel Dagg, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody
Substitutes: 16 James Parsons, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Matt Todd, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
South Africa
15 Johan Goosen, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Jaco Kriel, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Damian de Allende
