Take Five: The key questions as the All Blacks play the Springboks

World Cup warm-up match: All Blacks v Springboks

Where: Twickenham, London; When: Saturday, 6.30am

Live coverage: Sky Sport 1, live updates on Stuff

Catching a train to Twickenham to watch the All Blacks is a rite of passage for many Kiwis experiencing their OE in London.

Neck a few pints in a bar with friends, perhaps visit a kebab shop to steel to the belly, and then venture to the local station to join the hordes making the pilgrimage to the giant rugby stadium in the south-west borough of London.

Twickenham, for visiting teams, can be an intimidating venue but for the fans it’s a magnificent place. It’s a specialised rugby arena, not like some of the ugly hybrid ones we have here in New Zealand.

When the team buses arrive at the ground the players may sight the golden lion that rests on top of the Rowland Hill Memorial Gates, and when they disembark from their chariots they’re likely to be welcomed by punters before they prepare to snake their way up the stairwells to their seats.

If an England team was on show, the All Blacks would certainly know they’re in hostile territory. On this occasion, though, they have the Springboks in their sights.

For both teams this will be their final dress rehearsal before the World Cup begins in France next month.

Veteran players who have played at the ground on multiple occasions know what’s waiting. Many All Blacks teams in the past have soaked their aching flesh and bones in the big baths inside the changing sheds, and if successful, have enjoyed the relaxing drive back to their upmarket hotel with the speakers on the bus pounding out their favourite beats.

But before they can think about that, there’s work to do. The Springboks will make sure of that.

What’s the point of this match?

First, there’s the money to be made.

NZ Rugby and their South African rugby counterparts are set to reap a significant payday, in the millions, from this fixture. Even after they have paid their fees to the Rugby Football Union and Twickenham Stadium, they are set to walk away with a massive payout.

The game has sold-out, with 82,000 people to fill the house.

England, meanwhile, won’t be so lucky when they host Fiji the next day. Only around 50,000 tickets had sold by the middle of the week.

That could be interpreted as the fans’ dissatisfaction with England’s poor form, and Fiji probably doesn’t have the same pulling power as some of the more illustrious teams on the test circuit.

The bumper crowd for the All Blacks-Springboks test also emphasises there’s a massive appetite for seeing two of the giants from the southern hemisphere have a dig, even if it’s on neutral territory.

As for the trophy, it’s called the Qatar Airways Cup. If it gets left on the bus, would either team be too worried? Hard to know. There always needs to be a trinket these days, it seems.

A win is important. So, too, is the chance to have one last blow-out before the global tournament.

Which Springboks player should worry the All Blacks the most?

Print out the name of their eight starting forwards in the Springboks, tack it to the wall and toss a dart.

There’s your answer. All of their big brutes will bring heat to this occasion.

There are some powerful units in the Boks pack. The inspirational Siya Kolisi, recently returned from injury, wears the No 6 jersey. He’s one to watch. Inspirational, tough and also tackles with enough power to force ball runners to drop in their tracks.

Kolisi captained the Boks to their World Cup win in Japan four years ago, and with 76 caps to his credit he’s been around the block a few times.

What happened when these teams last played each other?

The All Blacks won 35-20 at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on July 15.

The South Africans, captained by lock Eben Etzebeth because Kolisi was unavailable, trailed 20-3 at halftime and required a try by flanker Kwagga Smith in the 79th minute to make the final scoreline look more respectable.

Smith isn’t in the match-day 23 for this fixture. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen join Kolisi in the back row.

How will the Springboks try to beat the All Blacks?

Slowing the game down could be a tactic. Especially after the 65th minute mark. Often the All Blacks want to make their opponents’ scream for oxygen down the home straight, by keeping the ball alive and denying them chances to grab a breather.

A fast game may not suit the Springboks. Injuries (real or otherwise), water breaks, pow-wows between set pieces, slow jogs to the lineouts, pretending they can’t hear the calls and conversations with the referee can help them reduce the tempo.

That may frustrate the All Blacks, and test the patience of English referee Matthew Carley,

Don’t underestimate the Springboks’ skills. Remember, when they played in Auckland they were undercooked because the bulk of the team didn’t play the first Rugby Championship test against Australia.

The big forwards could also hurt the All Blacks, especially when hooker Malcolm Marx parks at the tail of a lineout drive.

What would be the ideal result for the All Blacks?

A win and no injuries would be perfect.

With Shannon Frizell unavailable, and not expected to be fit for the first World Cup game against France on September 9, coach Ian Foster will hope blindside flanker Luke Jacobson lights up Twickers.

Jacobson could, potentially, provide the ballast the loose forward combination needs. Tall and athletic, Jacobson should join openside flanker Sam Cane in doing everything within the laws to slow down opposition ball.

Ball running is great, and Jacobson can do that too, but Foster is more likely to want to see him flood the rucks and deliver bone-jarring tackles to shunt opponents back behind the advantage line.

A convincing performance by Mark Telea should also enable him to lock down the No 11 jersey for the match against the Frenchies in Paris.