Handre Pollard will give South Africa an X-factor in attack © Getty Images

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New Zealand's dominance of world rugby shows no sign of abating, especially at home where they have now won 35 consecutive Tests - 13 more than any other nation has ever achieved. The All Blacks may have a couple of injuries but they have proven time and time again that they have the depth to cover absences and the Springboks will have to be at their very best if they are to knock the Kiwis off their lofty perch in Wellington on Saturday.

Team News

• Injuries to flanker Liam Messam and second-rower Sam Whitelock have opened the door for Steven Luatua and Jeremy Thrush respectively, while Aaron Cruden has overcome his chest injury to push Beauden Barrett back to the reserves bench. Cory Jane replaces Malakai Fekitoa on the pine, while lock Patrick Tuipulotu returns following a period recovering from an ankle injury.
• Handre Pollard replaces Morne Steyn at fly-half, with the rest of the starting team and the bench unchanged from that which lost 24-23 to Australia in Perth.

The Springboks will need to harness the emotion of Jean de Villiers' 100th Test to help lift them to a tournament-best performance. Two unconvincing victories over an improved Argentina and an unlucky defeat by Australia have failed to demonstrate that they are capable of causing a boilover.

Coach Heyneke Meyer has gone for raw talent over a battle-hardened veteran with his selection of Handre Pollard at fly-half in place of Morne Steyn. It's a shrewd move, as the Springboks will, in all likelihood, need more than a conventional experienced kicker as pivot to beat back the All Blacks. Regardless of how they fare this weekend, Pollard needs to be thrown in the deep end in games of this magnitude ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup. At the very least, his selection will cause the All Blacks to think twice about how best to handle the 20-year-old No.10.

And the Springboks will be thinking the same thing about most of the All Blacks. There is hardly a weakness to exploit in the world champions, who are playing with all the confidence one expects from a side that hasn't tasted defeat for so long. Aaron Cruden slots back into the starting fly-half role from injury, leaving Beauden Barrett as one of the best replacement No.10s anywhere in the world (if not the best). Liam Messam and Sam Whitelock will be missed in the forwards, and that's where the Springboks will have to gain parity to have any chance of victory.

Jeremy Thrush will be keen to impress given a chance to start © Getty Images

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In form

You just can't go past Julian Savea. Sure, he is often the beneficiary of great build-up work from his fellow All Blacks, but that takes nothing away from his destructive and deceptively agile running game. He's now scored 26 tries in 25 Test appearances, but the winger is yet to touch down in his three appearances against South Africa. That could be about to change.

If Handre Pollard represents the future at fly-half for the Boks, Jan Serfontein is the future at No.13. The 21-year-old Bulls centre has started only four of his 13 Tests since making his debut in June 2013, and he should be starting to feel comfortable in his position.

Out of form

Lock Lood de Jager may be an asset come lineout time, having won more throws than any other player in his side, but his defensive stats don't stack up that well. With seven missed tackles, only Morne Steyn is his equal.

Similarly, New Zealand prop Owen Franks is clearly not having his best season and he tops the list of missed tackles for New Zealand (7).

Key area to watch

The physicality factor. The Springboks will again try to out-muscle the All Blacks and a wet weekend should ensure this is the area where the game will be won or lost. The All Blacks have able replacements for their injured duo, but it still represents the Springboks' best chance of gaining superiority. The battle of the backs looks to be a no contest on paper at least.

Stats

The Springboks have never won at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, losing all five of their matches at the venue at a combined aggregate score of 166-69. Telling.

Prediction

The All Blacks were well below their best against Argentina last weekend, and it may be another grind in Wellington, but only the most optimistic South Africa fan will rate their side a favourite on Saturday. New Zealand by 10.