 MacDonald has been vital to the All Blacks' recent success |
New Zealand full-back Leon MacDonald says there will be no let-up against South Africa even though the All Blacks have clinched the Tri-Nations title. New Zealand face the Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday and again a week later in Rustenburg.
"Rarely do we get to come here and play a couple of games. We're treating it like a little series," said MacDonald.
"We've lost here the last two years in a row so there's still plenty of motivation."
 | If you get a win here, you know it's hard earned |
The All Blacks' last triumph on South African soil was a resounding 52-16 win in Pretoria in 2003, and since then they have been beaten in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
New Zealand have won only one series in South Africa, which was in 1996.
Victory over Australia in Auckland last Saturday saw New Zealand clinch this year's Tri-Nations and also notch up their 14th consecutive win since last year's 22-16 loss to South Africa at Newlands.
But MacDonald said he knew that their unbeaten run would count for nothing against South Africa.
"If you get a win here, you know it's hard earned. It's always a bit of a dogfight and you never come out of a game here feeling too flash afterwards," he said.
"Your body's always pretty beaten up and I've never had a comfortable flight home after playing in South Africa."
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