All Blacks legend Justin Marshall wants Dave Rennie to “ask different questions” of the Springboks in the final Greatest Rivalry Test.
New Zealand head into the Baltimore encounter 2-1 down in the series after succumbing 29-24 to South Africa at FNB Stadium last weekend.
They are the walking wounded going into the finale. Billy Proctor, Anton Segner and Caleb Clarke were among those to return home prior to the internationals, while Luke Jacobson, Ardie Savea and Quinn Tupaea picked up injuries in the third Test and are set for a spell on the sidelines.
That means Rennie will have to make alterations for the fourth encounter and Marshall would back the inclusion of the likes of Rieko Ioane, Ethan Blackadder and Richie Mo’unga.
Marshall’s changes
“By no means is it any criticism of the guys that have been occupying the jersey at the moment. We’ve been competing and we’re very, very close to being the better side in the series,” he told Sport Nation.
“There’s so much to like in the way that we’re playing, there’s so much to like in the way that certain players are pulling the trigger in their jerseys.
“You take influential players out, like Ardie Savea in particular and Quinn Tupaea, who’s been the regular centre, all of a sudden you’ve got to look at how we look different to them defensively.
“They’ve seen our attack over three Test matches; let’s show them something they’re not used to. Let’s give Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende in the midfield something else to consider, which I think would maybe be a Rieko Ioane.
“They’ve seen Anton Lienert-Brown, who I thought did fantastically in the last Test but they know what he’s going to offer.
“Maybe [Timoci] Tavatavanawai comes into the mix off the bench – there’s something they’ve not seen – a blend of loose forward (Blackadder) that is slightly different and, yes, maybe a general (Mo’unga) that sees things differently, who attacks the line differently.
“All those players would still fit into the way we’ve been attacking and, to a degree, would ask some different questions of the Springboks, as well as adding that freshness and energy I was talking about.”
Rennie will also weigh up whether it is worth putting Tupou Vaa’i back on the blindside after their lineout issues.
While they simplified the calls in the third Test, in part to aid Asafo Aumua, who is not as proficient a thrower as Codie Taylor, the All Blacks did not play off a dominant platform.
Tempo in the final quarter
“All of it revolves around what happens in the tight five because they will be wary of the scrum and the lineout. Fabian Holland came off the bench, if he goes back into the starting line-up, does he team up with Tupou Vaa’i? That’s the big question,” Marshall said.
“Secondly, if that does happen, that means the loose forwards have significant changes with Jacobson and Savea out.
“Does he opt to put Vaa’i on the side of the scrum and then you’ve got that lineout option? They’ve got a lot of options.
“Personally, I would like to see Tupou Vaa’i on the side of the scrum which enables us to go with that double impact loose forward mix and we don’t have to carry a lock.
“Again, that’s not criticism, I think in the last quarter, if we’re in the Test match, we’re fitter than them.
“I think adding tempo into the game, that’s the right time to do it, rather than adding physicality. Let’s keep the tempo of the game going.
“To be able to play two loosies on the bench would mean putting Tupou on the side and maybe go for that one-two punch. If we get stuck at lock, we know Tupou can move there, or he will move there when those players get injected.”