Ruan Nortje: All Blacks will come with a lineout plan

Ruan Nortje: All Blacks will come with a lineout plan

The Springboks levelled the series 1-1 with an impressive win in Cape Town built off their dominance at lineout time, with Eben Etzebeth making three steals on All Blacks' throw-ins, but Nortje warns New Zealand will have a plan to fight back in the third Test.

"Some weeks they've got your number, some weeks you've got theirs, that's the quality you're up against," he said.

"It's about making sure that we work as hard as possible, put plans in place to put them under pressure, and I'm sure they'll have their own plans for this weekend too."

"It's about handling it when they put us under pressure and adapting as quickly as possible, especially in that situation in the game.

"Fabian Holland is a world-class player, he's shown that the last two weeks. A lot of respect to him, it's always a privilege to play against him."

Drawing on his experience captaining the Bulls, Nortje also offered insight into managing the referee, an area that has drawn scrutiny across the series.

"You've got to understand where the referee is at in the game and how he's communicating," he said.

"Certain referees have different styles, different profiles, different ways of communicating and running the game, so it's important to understand the person you're working with, and what the best way and the best time is to talk to him, and when not to.

"If you feel like you're not getting the rub of the green from the ref, for me it's about standing back a bit, making sure you work through your own actions in the game, play as close to the laws as possible, and then leave it to him to make his decision rather than putting too much pressure on him."

Nortje is relishing the prospect of playing in front of a packed house at FNB Stadium.

"It will be an amazing experience. Last week was 56,000 people in Cape Town, this week it might be 85,000 or 90,000. We can only imagine how awesome that will be," he said.

“No matter where we play, we know what we have to do and what we have to stick to. It'll just be awesome to have that many people supporting you, feeding off them, getting energy from them, and enjoying every moment.”

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