Ardie Savea warns All Blacks they cannot afford another slow start against Boks

Savea will lead a reshuffled All Blacks side into Saturday's clash, with New Zealand desperate to respond after the Springboks fought back to claim a 33-26 victory in the second Test in Cape Town.

With the three-match series level at 1-1, Saturday's winner will take the advantage into the decider in Baltimore, making the third encounter a massive one.

Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Savea underlined the significance of the occasion and stressed that the All Blacks' focus is firmly on securing victory.

"I think we all know the importance of this game coming up," he said.

"It's like the State of Origin; it's game three, 1-1 here in Africa, so it's a big one.

"If we do lose, we can't win the series, and the best case is a draw. We understand as All Blacks we always want to win; we don't want to go any less.

"We've done everything we can this week to prepare; it's about us as players turning up tomorrow and actioning that.

"We know how we want to play, and South Africa knows how they want to play.

"The game comes down to fine margins, and I think we didn't win those last week, and the Springboks took advantage of that."

The All Blacks were not happy with their slow start in Cape Town, which allowed the Boks to go 7-0 up in the blink of an eye, and are eager to avoid a repeat of that mistake.

"We've got to be really clinical, accurate and disciplined. We can't give a big hand up to the Springboks because they're world champions for a reason. If you do that, you aren't coming back."

While Savea admitted you never know quite what to expect from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, he felt more comfortable predicting what the Boks would bring on the field.

"One thing you do know is that they gain momentum through their box kicks; they are real class at their set-piece," he said.

"Their game plan is really simple but effective. If we don't win those areas of the game, it's going to be a tough night for us.

"We know once the Boks gain momentum and win moment after moment, it becomes tough to get that back."