New Zealand vs. South Africa: Date, Time, Live Stream and 2014 TRC Preview
An unbeaten run at this year's Rugby Championship for the All Blacks comes under fire from the Springboks on Saturday, with first and second meeting under tight circumstances.
South Africa's loss in Australia last weekend allowed the All Blacks to open up a more advantageous three-point gap at the top of the standings, but Heyneke Meyer's side hopes to shrink and possibly even overcome that void on Saturday.
The reigning champions welcome the Springboks to Wellington without the promise of being very hospitable hosts, viewing information and preview for the titanic collision is detailed ahead.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
Time: 8:35 a.m. BST/3:35 a.m. ET
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK, subscription required), SuperSport stream (RSA, subscription required)
TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK), SuperSport 1 (RSA)
Key Players To Watch
New Zealand: Richie McCaw
Playing in hostile territory, South Africa will be sure to seek every slight advantage they can upon making the trip to New Zealand, and pushing the home outfit into a dogfight at the breakdown is one way of easing the points burden.
Richie McCaw is currently averaging two penalties per game at this year's tournament, and while the veteran still sits among the most efficient foragers in the world, his work at the breakdown remains a hotly discussed topic.
Granted, not all of those judgements have perhaps been fair on the flanker, but as Ruiadhri O'Connor of the Irish Independent pointed out, there are those justified calls among the citations:
In Marcell Coetzee and Francois Louw, McCaw will be going up against two of the world's in-form back-row assets, figures who have held their own in recent weeks, even if the same can't be said for all Springboks.
It's here that McCaw needs to be extra careful in ensuring Handre Pollard isn't gifted the opportunity to ease his side over the posts, not to mention presenting an attacking outlet of his own.
South Africa: Jean de Villiers
Joining the century club just a week after compatriot Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers' 100th Test cap couldn't come in much more heated a setting.
Again, the veteran will line up inside Jan Serfontein with the hopes of forming a steely presence in midfield, having made 30 tackles between them in Perth last Saturday, according to ESPN Scrum.
As the official South African Rugby Twitter account can attest, there's a hint of fate about De Villiers' 100th appearance coming under these circumstances, too:
New Zealand are a side replete with assets capable of piercing a hole in the smallest of moments, and it's foreseeable that the share of possession might see the All Blacks account for most of the attacking opportunities.
However, De Villiers is of a pedigree to be treated with respect as far as the hosts will be concerned, as he too has the ability to create magic out of nothing and is as experienced as they come at doing so against such revered opposition.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
