Revitalised Boks back with a vengeance to settle old scores
Two years ago, South Africa were smashed 53-3 by England at Twickenham, and 2003 was marred by racism allegations within the camp, controversial training methods and a poor World Cup.
Smit and company take on Wales this weekend as Tri-Nations champions, and have plenty of young Springbok talent in flanker Schalk Burger, his back-row colleague Juan Smith and defence-breaking centre Marius Joubert.
Captain Smit paid tribute to new coach Jake White for restoring Springbok confidence ahead of this series of games in Cardiff, Dublin, Twickenham, Edinburgh and Buenos Aires. White has admitted that he’ll be looking for advice on the Welsh from Percy Montgomery of the Newport Gwent Dragons.
The Boks provide a monumental challenge for new Wales coach Mike Ruddock in his first game at the Millennium Stadium. Despite a general air of optimism surrounding Ruddock’s arrival as coaching successor to Steve Hansen, the odds are stacked against Wales recapturing past glories this weekend, but his highly rated Australian assistant Scott Johnson is upbeat.
“In regard to South Africa, they probably over the last three or four years prior to the last World Cup, didn’t get their national set-up right. There were some political ramifications, and it has taken them a while,” he said.
“They are starting to develop a really good, quality team. Winning the Tri-Nations title was no mean feat with a young side.
“What South Africa have got is a good young squad. There are no real weaknesses, and let’s face it, the world of rugby is great if South Africa are good.
“They won a Tri-Nations tournament that was equally fought. If you look at all the games, they could have gone either way. I don’t think there is much between all three sides down south, and South Africa did really well to win it.”
Meanwhile, there was more bad news for England coach Andy Robinson yesterday, when he had to write off three more members of England’s World Cup squad, including Jonny Wilkinson, for the first autumn Test against Canada at Twickenham. World Cup props Trevor Woodman and Phil Vickery join Wilkinson, wing James Simpson-Daniel, plus locks Alex Brown and Louis Deacon on the injured list.
Tom Voyce, Dan Luger, Olly Barkley and James Forrester were among those to lose out when Robinson cut his squad from 40 to 30 ahead of naming his team next Monday. The England coach will have to name a new captain in Wilkinson’s absence, and Bath centre Mike Tindall, his club colleague Steve Borthwick and Sale Sharks full-back Jason Robinson head the list of alternative leaders. Given that a question mark is hovering over Wilkinson’s fitness for the Twickenham appointments with South Africa and Australia later this month, the short-term successor may enjoy a minimum three games in charge.
Exactly half of the World Cup squad, 15 players, are now missing from England’s set-up, less than a year after they achieved global supremacy. Sale wing Mark Cueto and Leicester scrum-half Harry Ellis are likely to be the two new caps against Canada, with recalls expected for Gloucester centre Henry Paul and Leicester prop Graham Rowntree. Charlie Hodgson looks likely to replace Wilkinson at out-half.
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