Lima Sopoaga will make his All Blacks bow when they take on the Springboks at Ellis Park on Sunday morning.

Lima Sopoaga might reach for the banana bowl before he enters the Ellis Park coliseum.

When Sopoaga, who will make his All Blacks' debut against the Springboks in Johannesburg on Sunday morning (NZ time), last played a rugby match he was nearly crippled by serious cramps.

The frantic pace of the Super Rugby final in Wellington on July 4 lowered the Highlanders first five-eighth several times as his calf muscles seized up, and he was replaced by super-sub Marty Banks inside the final quarter.

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Given the epic encounters the All Blacks have had against the Springboks at Ellis Park in recent years, it is anticipated the upcoming test will be played at the usual mad pace and the physicality will be equally demanding.

First five-eighth Sopoaga hasn't played since the Highlanders' title heist in Wellington, and All Blacks trainer Nic Gill will have been mindful of the need to ensure his conditioning is primed for this fixture.

To help prevent his calves locking-up, Sopoaga said he might need to gobble down some potassium-rich fruit.

"I probably should eat a few more bananas or something like that on game-day," Sopoaga mused. "I will probably get a few extra Powerades or something in."

Twelve months ago Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett, Colin Slade and Tom Taylor were considered the leading candidates for the three first five-eighth berths expected to be made available in the World Cup squad.

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At the time Sopoaga, who was preparing to play for Southland after transferring from Wellington, hadn't been near an All Blacks camp. Something changed.

The 24-year-old says a meeting with the Highlanders coaching staff was the base camp for his rugby Everest - they demanded an improvement in his off-field preparation.

"At the start of the year the coaches at the Highlanders sat down and said we needed to find some consistency and that started with my preparation," he explained.

"Maybe in the early parts of my career I wasn't worried and sort of let things slide, maybe not do my rehab and maybe not do that extra kicking session I knew I should do."

There is much to admire in Sopoaga's temperament; he rarely gives the impression he is squirming under the pressure, something he demonstrated during the Super Rugby final.

Now the selectors have shown faith in him, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen emphasised they expected payback at Ellis Park.

"He plays up in the line, he's flat and he challenges the opposition. He's done that all season with the Highlanders and that's all we expect him to do, to bring that form to this team and look after his role. Everyone else will do his own job."

Being cocooned-up in a safety blanket in the form of Highlanders team-mate Aaron Smith and former Wellington reps Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith should also ease Sopoaga's nerves.

To celebrate his selection he sent his parents a message on Facebook and joins his aunty, Mata Piho, a former Black Ferns player, in wearing the black colours.

"I don't think it comes much bigger than this. It's a dream come true."