Joubert has O'Driscoll in his sights

HE'S big, lean and hungry, no longer in awe of Brian O'Driscoll. Marius Joubert grabbed a hat-trick of tries against the All Blacks in Johannesburg earlier this year, which propelled him into the international scoring records.

O'Driscoll did it a few years back against France before he went on to play a huge role for the Lions in Australia three years ago.

Now all the talk may be about O'Driscoll, but Joubert is adamant South Africa can prevail on this European and South American tour.

"I'm not going to talk myself down, but, of course, he's a brilliant player. You have to respect a guy like that because anything is possible from him. But there's no way we're going to stand back from him. We have to go out there and get into his face and stop him from doing the things he is good at."

Joubert admits the last six months have been a roller-coaster ride. Having defied predictions by scoring a 2-0 series win over Ireland in June, the Springboks, young, enthusiastic and apparently freed from the shackles of previous coaching regimes by Jake White, went on to win the Tri-Nations.

"We embarked on that Tri-Nations campaign with a new ideal. Players told Jake he could keep all our money, we just wanted a win and that's what this squad is all about. We wanted to win but also to get respect back for the Springbok. That's worth more than money.

"I think we proved everyone wrong because nobody gave us a chance of winning. Now that we achieved that, we want to take confidence from that and bring it into what is a Grand Slam tour.

"Not many sides have achieved what we hope to achieve. If we achieve that, it will surely be a huge thing for South African rugby."

Joubert, who tomorrow partners another highly rated player, Du Wet Barry, accepts that being a professional player in South Africa is akin to swimming in a goldfish bowl.

"Everything about South African sport, particularly rugby, is pretty intense. During the rugby season it's what everyone talks about, men, women and children. When we play back home on a Saturday, people are still talking about a match on the Thursday. It's not easy but it is a challenge for everyone.

"That's what is in their blood. They love their game but for a change this year is was great. Sure, there have been hard times when things didn't go so well, but right now it is a great feeling to be a professional rugby player in South Africa."

But Joubert is well aware how quickly the bubble could burst.

"I have been on the receiving end as an individual and as part of a team. It goes with the territory. I set my personal goals and I've been pretty happy with my game for a couple of years now.

"But I know it can change, everything can change and the level of expectation is such that we have to prepare ourselves for bad times as well as good.

"When you lose you do tend to get a bit of criticism. The extent of that depends on how badly you could be beaten or even how badly you perform. That kind of thing does affect confidence. It's obvious that when you're getting results you get praise and you probably play better. When you're under pressure for results and being criticised then it is counter-productive to producing good performances. But, as I said, you grow up in South Africa where rugby is a huge part of the culture and you've got to accept the bad times as well as the good."

With eight wins from the last 10 matches, South Africa can hardly be accused of under-achievement. Jake White took over as coach in a difficult time and has turned this team around. Joubert recognises his role as being hugely significant in the upturn of fortunes.

"He gave us confidence by giving players an opportunity to have more than just one go at playing international rugby. He provided the structure, allowed us the time to grow together as a team and the freedom to express ourselves on the pitch without worrying about being dropped after one match.

"He was patient and now, I think, South African rugby is reaping the benefits."