Brendan O’Brien The news that a foreign coach had been co-opted onto the Springboks ticket before leaving for Japan stirred fond memories for Bryan Habana.

South African veteran Victor Matfield has his World Cup winners’ medal from 2007 but insists winning another next October at Twickenham is still top of his priority list as the Springboks head into their northern hemisphere tour opener against Ireland this Saturday.

MOSSIE LAWLOR mightn’t want it heard, much less printed for posterity, but one of his youthful highlights involved sitting on Mick Galwey’s knee.