The comfort Springbok coach Peter de Villiers can take from Saturday’s 26-0 Tri-Nations warm-up against Italy is that it mirrors the 1998 season, when the Boks beat a weak England side 18-0 in similar conditions,

I say this because that same England side went down by more than 50 points to both Austrailia and New Zealand a few weeks earlier. And because those 1998 Boks went on to have a clean sweep of the Tri-Nations and then went on equal the All Black record of 17 straight wins.

An analysis of the win in relation to the Tri-Nations would be futile because we also know the psyche of the South African rugby player when it comes to preparing for a Test against the likes of Italy and New Zealand.

It is the latter that gets the blood boiling in South Africa and the Boks have the most wonderful opportunity to showcase their world champion status with two Tests against the  All Blacks in New Zealand.

Springbok rugby has never been stronger when it comes to talent, comfort and continuity, while the All Blacks are at their most vulnerable. The Kiwis are a reasonable side by recent standards but with the exception of Dan Carter there is no All Black who stands taller than his Bok counterpart.

The absence of the injured Richie McCaw from the Wellington and Dunedin Tests also severely weakens the potency of the All Blacks at the breakdown. De Villiers and his assistant coaches, Gary Gold and Dick Muir, will have got more from New Zealand’s second Test win against England than their own cruise against the Italians.

England, for all their deficiencies, caused the All Blacks discomfort at the lineout and this has to be the area South Africa must target the most.

In Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and one of Pierre Spies or Joe van Niekerk, the Boks have the most potent lineout in the world. Matfield has no rival as a contesting jumper and no other team can boast five lineout options.

With New Zealand’s lineout ball a lottery and no McCaw present to ensure the quick recycle of phase ball, the All Blacks will rely on counter-attack to break down the Boks, which means they will have to play high-risk rugby.

Everything is favouring the Boks to finally win a Test in New Zealand and if the belief of the squad can match their natural playing talent, then the South Africa will win in Wellington.

But De Villiers has to get the team combinations right - and that is easier said than done.


John Smit’s leadership and solidity will improve the forwards and Schalk Burger will add an intensity that will be even hotter because there will be no Jerry Collins or McCaw.


The Boks, comfortable winners against Wales and Italy, are in a good space. The All Blacks, on the surface, would appear to be equally buoyant.

But if you scratch beneath the scab that is the World Cup disaster, the wound has not been cleaned out.

The time has never been better for South Africa to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand because the world champions Boks should have nothing to fear from a limited All Blacks team.