All Blacks braced for lineout assault

Rookie All Black lock Isaac Ross is enjoying the responsibility of calling the lineouts. Photo / Getty Images

CENTURION - An hour of light-hearted training was followed by five telling minutes of serious stuff as the All Blacks' enjoyed the first hit-out of their South African rugby sojourn here today.

Steve Hansen pulled locks Isaac Ross and Brad Thorn aside for a discussion that was clearly about lineouts, the forwards coach doing his best Victor Matfield imitation with arms outstretched as his charges listened closely.

There is little doubt that Sunday morning's (NZ time) test at Bloemfontein will see the Springboks throw everything at a New Zealand lineout that wobbled dangerously during their 22-16 defeat of Australia in Auckland on Saturday.

Deadly Bulls duo Matfield and Bakkies Botha will apply heat on the calls of Ross, with the four-test rookie admitting his decision-making was at least partly to blame for the malfunction at Eden Park.

"We just got a little bit frustrated and as I have said, a couple of lineouts didn't go to plan and as a young fellow I had to cool it a little bit," he said

"But there were lessons learned and we are moving forward to Bloemfontein."

The 25-year-old was handed the calling duties in his debut test just five weeks ago. Under his guidance, the lineout had been one of the few areas to consistently function for the All Blacks this season but after Saturday's test, Hansen pinpointed Ross's calls and some overthrows from hooker Andrew Hore as key issues to address.

Ross said the buck stopped with him and that was how he liked it.

"With pressure comes expectation and I enjoy the pressure. It brings out the best in people and I enjoy calling the lineouts.

"If they don't go to plan then that's my fault and I have got no dramas with that."

Springboks loose forwards Juan Smith and Pierre Spies provide extra lineout options the Wallabies didn't boast although Ross identified lineout kingpin Matfield as the man to outwit.

"With Victor running their ship, he runs a pretty good lineout and I have come up against him with the Bulls in the Super 14 and I presume he will similar but not the same. There are a lot of older heads in the Springboks lineout and it is going to be a difficult challenge but we will be ready."

Ross was confident a knee strain sustained at Eden Park will fully recuperate over coming days ahead of the first proper training session of the week on Wednesday.

Ice and rest over the next two days - tomorrow they enjoy a rest day - will be the answer, he said, while team management are happy with the progress of bruised thighs suffered by captain Richie McCaw and centre Conrad Smith.

They and veteran hooker Keven Mealamu, who said he has a "calf ache", took it easy at a fun-filled training session in warm weather at Zwartkop High School. A multi-pronged police escort across Centurion was followed by more laughs at a pool session as the players launched another counter strike on niggles and jet lag.

The All Blacks name their team on Thursday morning (NZ time) and leave Centurion, which is near Pretoria, later that day for Bloemfontein.

- NZPA