Victor Matfield has called for the Springboks to lift their game against the All Blacks © Getty Images

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Matches: South Africa 28 - 19 New Zealand

Players/Officials: Bakkies Botha | Andrew Hore | Victor Matfield

Tournaments/Tours: Tri Nations

Teams: New Zealand | South Africa

Grounds: Free State Stadium

Victor Matfield has called for his Springbok team-mates to lift their performance when they face the All Blacks in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

South Africa go in to the game following a 2-1 series win over the British & Irish Lions but Matfield insists that their form must be better if they are to topple Graham Henry's All Blacks, who opened their Tri-Nations account with a 22-16 win over Australia last weekend.

"I come out in goose-bumps just when I think about the haka, I don't even have to be facing it, and for any Springbok they are the opponents you most want to play against and most want to beat," said Matfield, who will be re-joined by regular second-row partner Bakkies Botha for the game.

Matfield relished the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play the Lions, but also acknowledged that business will pick up further as the Springboks looks to add to their 2004 Tri-Nations title.

"What made the Lions series special was the fact that we only play them once in every 12 years. You only get to play them once in your career, so you want to beat them when you do," Matfield said. "But we all know that the level of play will lift now for we are going into the Tri-Nations, which is the toughest competition in the world. New Zealand and Australia are the two top teams, they are the ones you measure yourself against, to be No 1 they are the teams that you have to beat."

Matfield, who will play his 84th Test at Free State Stadium, suspected the All Blacks' short turnaround since beating Australia at Eden Park could hurt them.

"It is tough to fly out to South Africa and play so soon after, but I think it is more the altitude that is going to be tough for them," he said. "The All Blacks have come out to South Africa in recent years and scored some good wins on the highveld, but altitude is a factor and we must look to put them under pressure and keep them under pressure."

Matfield has unfinished business in the southern hemisphere and maintained that he would not be seeking a lucrative contract abroad despite a short stay with Toulon in France two seasons ago.

"In my eight years of playing for the Boks I have won only one Tri-Nations title, so it would be nice to get another," he said. "And I wouldn't mind a few more Super 14 medals and hopefully a second World Cup title."

One player who will be hoping that Matfield and Botha are not at the races on Saturday will be All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore, whose throwing was uncharacteristically wayward against the Wallabies. In an honest assessment he blamed himself for losing concentration in Auckland, but is hoping to bounce back.

"The first couple of lineouts I just overthrew them and that probably rattled us a little bit," he said."Myself, I lost a bit of composure. It was my first game back for a while so hopefully I can sort that out and get back on the horse I suppose and back my confidence."