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VIDEO: The 'size of Boks pack' will be tough admits Tana Umaga All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga has warned the Kiwis to be alert to the various threats the Springboks will pose in the opening Test of the Greatest Rivalry at Ellis Park on Saturday. Umaga, who looks after the All Blacks’ defensive structures, was speaking at the team’s training session in Johannesburg on Tuesday. While much of the key talking points ahead of the Test have centred on the slowing down of play, the Boks’ firepower up front and their set-piece, Umaga believes the All Blacks will have to deal with threats across the park. *Article continues below… “The size of their pack and just the relentless wave of a big burden coming at you, I think that’s going to be tough for us,” he told reporters. “They’ve added some really soft touches to their game with the skill set they have within the backs. “Once you concentrate on what’s coming to you upfront, they look for space out wide, and they look for space in behind. If you focus on one thing, you’ll take your eyes off another.” *Also read: Are the All Blacks walking into a Springbok ambush? But while the All Blacks are preparing for the various threats the Boks pose, Umaga stressed the importance of controlling what they can and imposing their own game. “Everyone talks about their set piece, but they’ve grown in terms of their attacking prowess and the backs and utilising their forwards in the right spaces,” he added. “The fundamentals of making sure you’re looking after the ball, controlling the ball as much as you can, so that means catching it and looking after it but also just trying to impose your own game. “They are trying to do that on their side of the ball, and we’re trying to do that when we get it. “Those that can impose their game, build momentum, and put on the pressure will be more likely to come away with points. If you don’t do that, then you’re on the other side of the ledger.” The All Blacks will head into the opening Test having already played three matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls. While they were underwhelming against the Stormers, Dave Rennie’s side gradually improved against the Sharks before thumping the Bulls 50-19. The Springboks, meanwhile, have only played against Argentina this month, and the bulk of the team expected to face the Kiwis was left behind in South Africa. Umaga doesn’t think that playing more matches than their opponents gives them any sort of advantage. “This South African side has been together for a long time,” he added. “They know what it takes to win big matches, and also, their game is very solid, and they know what they can rely on. I don’t think there’s much advantage in us having more games, and we’ve played 44 players in those three games. “It’s just good for both sides that they’ve had a hit out and now we’re all looking forward to this weekend.” The All Blacks will need to be at their best defensively against an unpredictable Bok side. This season, Rassie Erasmus’ men have averaged 43 points and seven tries per match in the Nations Championship. However, they will face a much tougher defensive challenge against the Kiwis, who have conceded just 40 points in their last three outings while scoring 142. Umaga said he’s happy with how they’ve defended, but they are not getting complacent. “We’re happy with where we are, but we are not content. “We feel like we can keep on improving, and we know we’ll need to this weekend against the World Champs. “We’re not resting on our laurels around that. Yep, we’ve made some improvements, and, to be honest, we’ve made a couple of errors, so we didn’t do so well in the Nations Championship. “But we’ve got a bit of time before we get to this weekend’s game to rectify those.”