For All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, Saturday’s match provides one final opportunity to gather intelligence on his wider squad before the Test series begins.
Bulls fans may not agree, but from a South African perspective, perhaps the best result at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday would be for their team to go down to the All Blacks after a brave fight.
That would allow New Zealand to retain whatever comfort zone they might be occupying a week before their first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park.
A Bulls victory, on the other hand, could set off alarm bells in the All Blacks camp and leave the tourists heading into the first Test with their backs against the wall.
The New Zealand side named to face the Bulls indeed has something of a dirt-tracker look to it. The team that beat the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday was essentially the shadow Test side, but a Bulls win would still have the tourists in a flap ahead of the crucial first of four Tests against the Springboks.
