Aaron Smith will be at halfback when the All Blacks meet South Africa on Monday.

No point burying any of the potential angles here.

Aaron Smith will start at halfback against South Africa on Saturday. Jerome Kaino is going to play for Auckland. If the All Blacks do change goalkickers, it won't be to Lima Sopoaga. Vaea Fifita isn't infallible and Steve Hansen rates the 2017 Springboks.

The breakdown's also a hot topic for Hansen, but you could devote thousands of words to what could or should happen there and still not get to the bottom of it. Let's just start with one obvious way in which New Zealand will respond to the anticipated Springbok line-speed at QBE Stadium on Saturday.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The All Blacks have considered the idea of Damian McKenzie doing the goalkicking. Photo: ANDY JACKSON/STUFF

"There's a difference between the speed of ball when Aaron's there so he will come back. There you go, there's one for you. You'll know the 9. I think that makes a difference to how we play too," Hansen said on Sunday.

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The Pumas, as the British and Irish Lions and Australia have done, successfully stifled the All Blacks' backline play, during Saturday's clash in New Plymouth. There are various ways to combat the tactic - all of which Hansen and the All Blacks are aware of and are working on - and a quicker clearance from the breakdown is among them.

PHOTOSPORT Another week of provincial footy looms for Jerome Kaino.

Smith gets the ball away more swiftly than TJ Perenara, so in he'll come.

That's not a reflection on Perenara's performance, necessarily. The All Blacks are bedding in newcomers, such as Fifita and tighthead props Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tu'ungafasi, while Ardie Savea was at openside instead of usual starter Sam Cane.

None of the new-ish boys are said to be as effective at the breakdown as the blokes who've worn those jumpers previously. Which brings us to Fifita's potential fallibility.

Yes, the blindside flanker is an astonishing, exhilarating sight with ball in hand, but the team require other things from him too.

"We need him to be in the right places in the different structures, but that's normal," said Hansen.

"As he gets out there and understands the structures better, he's likely to be in the right places more often than not. But you can't just go out to the flank and wait for the ball to come to you. Sometimes, as a flanker, you've got to do the hard work too."

Fifita partly got his chance, as Liam Squire did in the two games prior, because of Kaino's absence. Hansen wouldn't say where he ranked the trio, other than pointing out "we've now got three very good No.6s" but he did confirm Kaino would play for Auckland in their clash against Southland in Invercargill on Friday.

Make of that what you will.

The coach was more definite about a suggestion Sopoaga could start at first five-eighth this week, and goal kick, with Barrett dropping to fullback.

"Do we want to put both of them in at the same time? Not to start we won't, no. But having them both on the end of the game is a real possibility because it's happened most of the time."

But the All Blacks have discussed the idea of fullback McKenzie kicking goals. A "strain" meant he wasn't an option against the Pumas but could be in the future. In the meantime, it's Barrett.

"Look when Barrett kicks well, he kicks everything. When he doesn't, he misses two or three and that's the process. Do you know when he's going to kick the lot? I don't. I've got no idea," Hansen said.

While Barrett works to be more consistent, the Springboks are making some quite obvious progress, in Hansen's view. He was very impressed by their 23-23 draw with Australia in Perth.

"Australia will probably be kicking themselves again at 20 points to 10 [up with 33 minutes to play]. But South Africa are playing really well. They seem to be incredibly tight with each other, so they're obviously building something there from a culture point of view and that will make them more dangerous."