Recalled Fourie wants Bok backlash

Centre Jaque Fourie has urged South Africa to stick together as a team against Australia if they are to end the recent slump that has taken in four consecutive losses.

The world champions have not lost five matches in a row since 2006 when a loss to France was followed by two defeats each to the Wallabies and New Zealand.

Having already lost to Robbie Deans’ side in Brisbane last month, the Springboks are now desperate to arrest that slide by winning in Pretoria on Saturday.

“We probably have seven or eight players who can make a difference,” Fourie said. “But it won’t help if each one of us waits for someone else to do it.

“Those opportunities will present themselves if all of us do the right things.

“So we must capitalise and ensure we win.”

The Stormers centre will be returning to the Springbok line-up after four weeks on the sidelines during which he was banned after a spear tackle on Australia’s Richard Brown in Brisbane.

It forced him to miss last weekend’s 29-22 loss to the All Blacks – a game in which his midfield partner for the game at Loftus Versfeld, Jean de Villiers, was given good support by Juan de Jongh.

De Villiers has already had his fair share of disciplinary problems in the Tri Nations, his tackle on Rene Ranger in Wellington earlier in the competition earning him a two-week ban.

But Fourie is adamant that coach Peter de Villiers has not taken a risk by fielding the two side by side.

He continued: “No, it’s not a risk to run out with two centres that recently served suspensions for spear tackles. It won’t happen again.

“We spoke about it and will also remind one another during the game to complete the tackles.

“We both made the mistake of wanting to go upwards with the opponent too quickly. It happens in the blink of an eye, but I don’t think we will make the same mistakes again.”

The pair will play together as centre pairing for a record 23rd time in the Green and Gold, Fourie in his 61st Test and De Villiers his 62nd.

He added: “It’s great to have him back because we know one another so well.

“We hardly have to communicate because the one knows what the other is going to do.

“We have to do the basics well. Centres have to get over the advantage line and that will be our primary task.”