Cape Town - New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster says they will by no means be underestimating the Springboks in Saturday’s Rugby Championship encounter in Wellington.

READ: Brendan Venter on how Boks can beat All Blacks

The South Africans head into the match on the back of successive defeats to Argentina and Australia and a 3-4 win-loss record in 2018.

Since their last win in New Zealand in 2009, the Springboks have beaten the All Blacks only twice in 17 Tests and also suffered a record 57-0 loss in Albany last year.

But the All Blacks remain wary, with Foster saying he was impressed by the Boks' 2-1 series win over England in June.

"We know they're a very good team. We saw them play in June and beat a good England team 2-1 and so we know they can play and they've shown some good stuff in The Rugby Championship and they've had a couple of losses in an away game," Foster told the Stuff.co.nz website.

Foster added that he’s never had an easy game against the Springboks.

“It's never been anything but a hundred percent physical and brutal and I can't see any difference based on what we've heard. We know they're going to be hungry. That's a given.”

Both line-ups will be named on Thursday, with Saturday’s Test scheduled for 09:35 (SA time).