Springbok captain John Smit was justified in heaping praise on his pack of forwards for the emphatic way in which they shut out New Zealand in the 28-19 Tri-Nations win in Bloemfontein at the weekend.

But the Bok skipper will do well to remind his team about what happened in the series against the British and Irish - when a first Test domination turned into a scrap for survival in the second international, before South Africa clinched the series.

Already the All Black forwards have vowed to turn up the heat in their next encounter with the Boks - in Durban this coming Saturday.

Kiwi flank Jerome Kaino admitted his side came a distant second in the collisions, while lock Brad Thorn believes South Africa is not as physical as the French and can be overpowered.

Kaino didn't hesitate when asked who could claim muscular bragging rights after the opening exchanges in Bloemfontein.

"Personally I think they got one up on us," Kaino told NZPA.

"We really put a lot of focus on attacking their drive and didn't really get in there. The big work-on for us is the line-out and the scrum and hopefully next week in Durban we can lay a better platform for our backs to work off."

Veteran lock Thorn said that while the Bok pack was better than the Wallabies, the French forward were the most intimidating he had faced this year.

"I thought they [the Springboks] were more physical that the Aussies, but I was really impressed with the French to be honest," Thorn told NZPA.

"I though they were the most physical games I have played this year," he added.

The All Blacks eclipsed France up front in Wellington last month to square their series 1-1, suggesting the All Blacks are capable of much better against the powerful South African eight.

Thorn, 34, seemed to relish the prospect of a second crack at Bakkies Botha and company this coming Saturday.

"They are big guys, they play it hard, the South Africans, and it is great. This is what it is all about, it is a test, it is over here and it's great."

Forwards coach Steve Hansen was convinced the difference between the teams didn't boil down to attitude or a lack of physical presence.

Instead, he wanted improvement in technical areas, which were most deficient in the first half.

"They controlled the rugby ball, they had all the possession, either through our errors or us being penalised," Hansen said.

"That allowed them to control the game. When one team controls the game it looks good."

Hansen was determined his pack would provide better possession in Durban to an All Blacks backline that looked more threatening than their opposites.

Not surprisingly, Hansen said the line-out was the element in most need of improvement.

"We've got to get a decent platform there so we can have quality ball there. Then we can get a bit of continuity in our game," Hansen said.

"The preparation time will be really valuable."