Overview
- The four-Test series is level at one-all and the third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday is widely treated as the de facto series decider.
- A public row over scrummaging has escalated after the Cape Town Test, with All Blacks coach Dave Rennie raising concerns, Rassie Erasmus rebutting the charge, and both teams lodging formal complaints with match officials.
- Georgia referee Nika Amashukeli has been appointed to preside over the match and his interpretation of scrum engagement, resets and penalties is expected to shape the contest from the first set piece.
- South Africa altered its starting XV after injuries, with Damian Willemse ruled out and Cheslin Kolbe moved to fullback while Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw return to the front row to emphasise forward power and set-piece dominance.
- Tactically the game is a clash of styles — Springboks seeking to suffocate play through scrums, mauls and lineout pressure while New Zealand rely on tempo and finishing, a contrast highlighted by the All Blacks' nine tries to South Africa's four across the first two Tests and by concerns over late-game discipline and bench impact; the tour concludes in Baltimore on September 12 for commercial reasons.