Springboks

The Springboks have not beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand for eight years and they showed little prospect of changing that statistic as they were overwhelmed by the All Blacks 57-0 in a seven-try-to-none demolition at North Harbour Stadium tonight.

The young Springboks team initially ran and scrumed strongly in the early exchanges but the All Blacks quickly seized on lineout and passing errors with a first half masterclass in counterattacking rugby and ruthless finishing.

The Springboks endured an awful 2016 as they suffered their first loss to Ireland at home and were thumped 41-13 and 57-15 by the All Blacks in their two Rugby Championship clashes.

They also lost all three of their end-of-season tests in Europe as they ended the year with just four wins from 12 matches and slumped as low as seventh in the world rankings by this March.

At the start of the international season Springbok rugby was at an all-time low.

2016 was the worst season in South Africa's history. They won just four of their twelve games, were humbled by their heaviest defeat to New Zealand in 95 years, and didn't win a single test away from home.

They fell to their first ever home defeat to Ireland and their first ever loss to Argentina in South America.

Hames comes in for the injured Joe Moody.... it will be his third Test.

It's an inexperienced propping duo starting with Nepo Laulala having played just six Tests.

In other changes, lock Sam Whitelock, loosies Liam Squire and Sam Cane, halfback Aaron Smith, wing Rieko Ioane and centre Ryan Crotty return to the starting lineup.

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: "Our big focus this week has been about continual improvement, growing ourselves as a team, growing our game and how we want to play it, and how we want to play against different opposition.

Saturday's test against the Springboks at Albany's QBE Stadium will be Whitelock's 15th appearance against the South Africans (and 91st test in all). You get the impression he could play them all back in his head. He has been on the winning side in 12 of them.

"It's one of those awesome test matches you hope you can be part of," said the 30 year-old after Tuesday's training hitout at Alexandra Park. "If you go back through history between South Africa and New Zealand, those are the games people talk about 10 or 20 or 30 years ago. No doubt this one will be the same.

All Blacks flanker Sam Cane was straight to the point, admitting South Africa would push his side to the limit in next weekend's Albany Test.

Having endured the year from hell last year, the Springboks have picked up a head of steam in 2017 and are yet to lose a Test.

A 3-0 series whitewash over France in June has made way for an encouraging Rugby Championship start, twice beating Argentina and drawing with Australia.

Pollard has successfully completed his ankle injury rehabilitation and was selected in the place of Curwin Bosch, the young Cell C Sharks flyhalf who made his Springbok debut against Argentina in Port Elizabeth.

Cronje has established himself as the regular Springbok No 9 so far this season. He missed the trip to Salta but has recovered from his ankle injury and can be considered for the Test against Australia in Perth next Saturday.

Leyds, who covers wing and fullback, is back in the squad in the place of centre Francois Venter.

Comfortable winners of last weekend's reverse fixture in Port Elizabeth, the Springboks were given a helping hand on this occasion as Argentina's Tomas Lavanini was sent off in the 57th minute for a second yellow-card offence.

Pumas number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon and South Africa full-back Andries Coetzee were also sin-binned in a frenetic encounter.

The Pumas fell to a 37-15 loss against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth last weekend and head coach Daniel Hourcade has rung the changes as a result, with Cubelli elevated to the first XV at the expense of scrum-half Martin Landajo.

Nicolas Sanchez loses his place at fly-half to the more experienced Juan Martin Hernandez, with the other switches coming in the forward pack.

Lucas Noguera and Ramiro Herrera enter in the prop positions, while Matias Alemanno will start at lock with Juan Manuel Leguizamon taking Leonardo Senatore's number eight shirt.

Allister Coetzee's side endured a miserable 2016, but now boast four wins from four this year.

The strength, speed and superb handling that has graced great Springbok sides in the past were all present as they dominated against the Pumas, particularly in the scrum.

Elton Jantjies' accurate kicking set them apart from their visitors, while there were first international tries for lively wingers Courtnall Skosan and Raymond Rhule.