It looks good – for now

In a bygone era, there was inevitability about proceedings when South African viewers sat back in their Lazyboys to watch the performance of the Bulls, the Sharks, the Stormers, the Lions and the Cheetahs in the Antipodes. Springbok coaches bemoaned the lack of success of South African teams in New Zealand. Victories by the Boks and the Super 14 teams were celebrated because they hardly occurred.

Whenever our boys left South African shores, rugby viewing was synonymous with melancholy because we could not get it together. Simply rewind the clock to 2008 when the Bulls played the Reds. They hammered the hapless Australian team 92-3 at Loftus in 2007, on their way to the title.

But in 2008, they were swamped by a Red tide and lost 8-40.

How things have changed. In 2010 South African teams won four of their last five matches in New Zealand. The Sharks beat the Highlanders and the Hurricanes in the final tour games. The Bulls lost to the Blues and then hammered the Chiefs 33-19, while the Stormers atoned for their scratchy performance against the Force by beating the Blues in Auckland 33-21.

What will this do for the confidence of the Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers?

Firstly, he will be spoilt for choice when he selects his squad for the early internationals against Wales and France, as well as the Tri-Nations tournament.

Already he has indicated, according to the "Sunday Independent", that he will not rest groups of players en masse between now and the World Cup, as Jake White did in the Tri-Nations, but will give players an opportunity to recuperate on an individual basis as per their requirements.

Secondly, he will feel comfortable with the state of South African forward play. The line-out performances by the Bulls, the Stormers and the Sharks have given him options – before counting Juan Smith of the Cheetahs and Wikus van Heerden of the Lions who are incumbent Springboks and man mountains with enormous capability at seven or eight in the line-out.

Andries Bekker was simply superb against the Blues. How anyone in their right mind would omit him out from a Springbok starting 15 at the moment, is almost incomprehensible.

Bakkies Botha is injured, and many observers argue that one requires someone such as Danie Rossouw to fulfil the enforcer’s role in his absence. Bekker is more in the Victor Matfield mould, these critics argue, and one cannot have two of the same as locks.

Older generations of Bok locks such as Avril Malan and Johan Claassen were proof that one required a meanie and a good athletic jumper to work in tandem.

Sure, Bekker is no longer simply a jumper and a runner. His work in the tight phases has been exemplary, thus he may start for the Boks in the early Tests alongside Matfield, until Botha finds his feet again.

The scrumming by the Stormers, the Bulls, the Sharks and even the Cheetahs has given De Villiers more reason to celebrate.

Gurthro Steenkamp was sensational against the Chiefs on Friday, while Brok Harris has performed admirably for the Stormers. John Smit at loosehead alongside Bismarck du Plessis and Jannie du Plessis – with the "Beast" Tendai Mtawarira in reserve – have showed great strength.

The front row of Wian du Preez, Adriaan Strauss and WP Nel gave the disjointed Cheetahs something to crow about.

Another factor that has fed the confidence of the Super 14 teams has been the patience demonstrated by the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls. They have protected possession, they have built pressure and they have been able to stretch the defence of their opponents before finishing in grand style.

Some members of the media attributed the painful loss of Western Province to the Bulls in the semifinals of the Currie Cup to the inept tactical kicking display by the halfbacks of the hosts at Newlands.

How has that changed within seven months? Peter Grant has turned his weaknesses into his strengths. His kicking out of hand and at posts has been exemplary. And in his last two tour games, he has kicked 12 out of 12.

It has given De Villiers more options. The rejuvenation of Ruan Pienaar and Grant’s coming of age have come at a stage in the season when Morné Steyn appears to be lacklustre.

Steyn was magnificent early on in the competition, but struggled for form against the Chiefs. Breyton Paulse, a former Bok wing, said on "All Out Rugby" that his performance is merely a temporary loss of form, and no source of concern.

On the subject of concerns, the New Zealand rugby bosses must be perturbed about the lack of depth in their tight phases, particularly at lock and prop, only 18 months before the Rugby World Cup.

The exodus of some of their greatest rugby stars, including the strong man Carl Hayman, has stripped them of much needed class and bulk with another Tri-Nations looming.

If an armchair critic were to select his Springbok team for the first Test against Wales, who will be in the starting 15, and who on the substitute bench?

The only possible positions in which South Africa would battle to find solutions, is on the right wing. JP Pietersen has not been at his best, while the Cheetah flyer Lionel Mapoe is injured. Gerhard van den Heever is a superb finisher, but his defensive capabilities are limited.

Stefan Terblanche is a superb all-round player even as a 30-something, but he has lost a yard of pace.

Another factor would be to decide who will fill the spot as loose head and tighthead, and whether De Villiers will continue his Smit experiment at number 3.

Our view is that Smit is arguably the best captain in the world, and with Bismarck du Plessis not at his best currently, De Villiers will use him on the bench, with Smit filling the number 2 spot.

The other contentious decisions are at number 6 and 12. Who will fill the spot of the injured Heinrich Brussouw, who is relatively small in stature (1.81 metres) but a giant in every other way? The rejuvenation of Schalk Burger probably has answered that question; while Jan Pickard’s grandson Francois Louw is emerging as an iron man for the Stormers, and could feature on the reserve bench.

Jean de Villiers as a creative force, and with his ability to send Jaque Fourie into orbit, is well known. But he will return to South Africa only in June. In his absence, Wynand Olivier, a menacing presence for the Bulls in midfield, possibly will fill his boots.

One thing that is slightly disturbing about Olivier, however, is that he tends to ‘disappear’ when he takes the step up to Springbok level.

As for Bakkies Botha, we believe he may be rested early on and would begin featuring only in the Tri-Nations.

A possible 22 would be: Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, JP Pietersen, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Brok Harris, John Smit, Gurthro Steenkamp; Reserves: Lionel Mapoe, Peter Grant, Ruan Pienaar, Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Francois Louw.