Steyn returns to Springbok team

Tri-Nations: New Zealand v South Africa
Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Date: Sat, 12 September KO: 0835 BST
Coverage: Live scores on BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports Xtra

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Steyn will move to Parisian club Racing-Metro after the Tri-Nations

Tri-Nations leaders South Africa have made only one change to their side for Saturday's potentially decisive game away to New Zealand.

Francois Steyn replaces Ruan Pienaar at full-back while Bryan Habana and Pierre Spies have been passed fit.

New Zealand will field a new centre partnership of Stephen Donald and Ma'a Nonu in Hamilton after injuries to Conrad Smith and Luke McAlister.

That means Dan Carter stays at fly-half rather than moving to inside centre.

The forwards are unchanged, with Kieran Read cleared to start at number eight despite struggling for fitness recently with a knee injury.

Flanker Adam Thomson returns to the reserves bench and Isaia Toeava has been named as a backline reserve for the All Blacks.

South Africa are nine points clear at the top of the Tri-Nations table and victory in Hamilton will secure the title for the first time since 2004.

And the selection of Steyn at full-back indicates an emphasis on kicking with New Zealand also naming Carter and Donald in their starting line-up.

606: DEBATE I like the look of a Carter, Donald Nonu set up - Donald has played well at 12 for the Chiefs and should find it much more comfortable there at Test level BM

"We've tried to keep it as simple as possible," said coach Peter de Villiers. "But there is a bit of horses for courses and Frans (Steyn) can play a major role in Hamilton with his boot.

"It's not a shift in game plan. We expect Dan Carter to kick more and with Frans we can put ourselves back in position and able to dictate play."

South Africa lost winger Habana to a hamstring strain shortly before half-time in the 21-6 loss to Australia in Brisbane last Saturday, while number eight Spies injured his groin.

The pair have been included in the team but De Villiers says they will still be monitored in the days leading up to the match.

"The medical team have worked intensively with a few players this week and they will continue to do so between now and the game," added De Villiers.

"We always said that we expected to pick up a few injuries close to the end of the Tri-Nations and it is a case of managing the players properly."

New Zealand head into the match at Waikato Stadium knowing they need to earn a bonus-point win if they are to keep their chances of retaining the trophy alive.

We've seen a couple of things we can exploit and we've just been working hard to basically do that New Zealand prop Owen Franks

But skipper Richie McCaw insists they are concentrating on their performance rather than the bonus point.

"If you go in there saying 'we've got to score four tries' you don't actually look at the process of what you've got to do," he stated.

"We've got to go in, get our performance right and if we do that we'll create opportunities and we've got to take them.

"You don't want to cost the game by throwing the ball around and trying to score a try.

"That, I believe, comes second to getting our performance dead right. If we do that then I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to score tries."

Scrum-half Jimmy Cowan says his side are ready for a physical confrontation as they look to avenge the defeats by South Africa in Bloemfontein and Durban.

"Over the last two Tests we sort of got away from trying to confront them and were trying to look for space and we did some silly kicks in our own half," said Cowan.

"This week, I don't want to give too much away, but we're going to meet fire with fire and see what happens."

And tighthead prop Owen Franks said they were looking forward to a fierce confrontation in the scrum, having pinpointed some weaknesses in South Africa's performance against Australia.

"We've seen a couple of things we can exploit and we've just been working hard to basically do that," stated Franks.

"We're going to bring it on Saturday at scrum time. We've been working pretty hard just to dominate basically, to really follow the Aussies."

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New Zealand: Mils Muliaina; Joe Rokocoko, Ma'a Nonu, Stephen Donald, Sitiveni Sivivatu; Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan; Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, Owen Franks, Brad Thorn, Isaac Ross, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read.
Replacements: Aled de Malmanche, John Afoa, Adam Thomson, Rodney So'oialo, Brendon Leonard, Isaia Toeava, Cory Jane.

South Africa: Francois Steyn; Odwa Ndungane, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, John Smith, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Heinrich Brussow, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies.
Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Schalk Burger, Enrico Januarie, Adrian Jacobs, Ruan Pienaar.