Self-belief to drive Springboks against All Blacks

SOUTH AFRICA are showing a new self-belief as they prepare to face New Zealand in their first Tri-Nations clash of the series in Wellington tomorrow.

“It’s nice for us that no one is giving us a chance but we feel differently to that. We have self-belief,” Springboks skipper Corne Krige said.

“We have prepared as well as we can for this test,” Krige said.

“There is no way we will leave being happy with just a close loss.”

The All Blacks won the opening game of the Tri-Nations, 12-6, against Australia in Christchurch last Saturday, and will hope the forecast for fine weather proves correct.

The clash against the Wallabies was spoiled by cold and wet conditions, prompting All Black scrum-half Justin Marshall to say that the weather had hampered the fast, exciting rugby they wanted to play.

“We want, as much as the spectators do, to be able to use the ball,” Marshall said.

“Our team strategy and patterns revolve around running with the ball.”

To help combat wet conditions, the Australians trained under a sprinkler at their Coffs Harbour base before arriving in Christchurch.

The South Africans reportedly used a bucket of water to keep their training balls wet during the stop-over in Brisbane on the way to Wellington.

The Springboks have a lamentable away record in the Tri-Nations, with just two wins in 12 attempts.

New Zealand won last year’s match, 26-15, in Auckland, but Marshall said much had altered in the Springboks set-up since.

Among the changes is the introduction of lively young scrum-half Johannes Conradie, almost a spitting image of Marshall’s opponent last week, Australia’s George Gregan.

Conradie was excellent in the Super 12 for the Western Province Stormers this season, and Marshall remembers him well from the game against the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch.

“He had it tough that day because the Stormers weren’t at full strength, but he showed enough to me that he’s a good player,” Marshall said.

“It’s refreshing coming up against someone who is new. I try not to focus too much on the opposition, preferring to sort out my own game. But he’ll be playing his first game for the Springboks in New Zealand and will be out to impress.”

Marshall said he was unfamiliar with many of the South Africans but believed they would be dogged opponents.

“I do know they will be determined because they always are, and with a new coach (Rudolph Straeuli), they could have a few surprises in store for us.”

Straeuli has made three changes to the side which beat Samoa, 60-18, in a Tri-Nations warm-up two weeks ago.

All the changes are in the pack, where front-rowers Faan Rautenback and Danie Coetzee make way for prop Willie Meyer and hooker James Dalton, while lock Jannes Labuschagne has been preferred to Hottie Louw.

NEW ZEALAND: Cullen; Howlett, Robinson, Mauger, Ralph; Mehrtens, Marshall; Robertson, McCaw, Thorne (captain), Maling, Jack, Somerville, Hammett, Hewett. Replacements: Willis, McDonnell, R. Willis, Broomhall, Kelleher, Umaga, Lomu.

SOUTH AFRICA: Greeff; Terblanche, Joubert, Hall, De Wet Barry; Pretorius, Conradie; Skinstad, van Niekerk, Krige (captain), Labuschagne, Matfield, Meyer, Dalton, Sephaka. Replacements: Le Roux, Rautenbach, Venter, Scholtz, de Kock, Jacobs, Paulse.