Harsh experience on high veldt

The All Blacks have struggled against South Africa in tests at altitude, although Pretoria will hold no particular historical concerns for them on Sunday. The test at Loftus Versfeld, or Securicor Park as it is now called, is just the fourth there between the two great rugby nations because Pretoria succeeded Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth as the fourth-choice test venue only in the late 1960s.

The All Blacks lost the first, 17-6 in 1970, but have won the two subsequent meetings, 33-26 in 1996 and 34-18 in 1999.

The 1996 result came on one of New Zealand rugby's greatest days, securing their first test series win on South African soil.

The All Blacks' only other test appearance at Pretoria resulted in a defeat of Scotland at the 1995 World Cup.

But their record on the South Africa high veldt is six wins, eight losses and a draw. That mainly comes from seven losses in 10 tests at Johannesburg.

South Africa's overall record at Pretoria makes for healthier reading.

They have won 16 of their 22 tests there.

After trailing throughout much of their historical rivalry, the All Blacks have surged ahead of the Springboks in one of rugby's most fiercely fought battles.

New Zealand have won 31, lost 26 and drawn three of their 60 meetings.

South Africa led 20-15 until 1981, when they were banned from international rugby for their country's apartheid stance.

Since being readmitted in 1992, the All Blacks lead the head-to-head battle 16-6, with one draw.

The All Blacks have won 11 of their 14 Tri-Nations clashes since that series began in 1996.

But the South Africans remain easily New Zealand's closest rival in rugby's history books.

They have regularly met in test series since 1921, with the only one-off clashes being South Africa's return to the international scene in 1992, when they went down 27-24, and in the World Cup final when they famously won 15-12 in extra time - both results coming in Johannesburg.

- NZPA