Boks can do it again

Apart from a mediocre first half an hour and an unconvincing performance in the scrums, South Africa did enough during its 34-31 win against Wales to prove to international critics that the Springboks boast the strength in depth to repeat their 2007 performance at the Rugby World Cup at next year’s global showpiece in New Zealand.

South Africa had sufficient experience in the Millennium Stadium to lean on came scrum time, but BJ Botha, John Smit and CJ van der Linde as a combination simply could not dominate against the Welsh team on Saturday.

Botha was penalised repeatedly, and although some of the decisions were baffling, Smit admitted afterward that the Boks were sloppy, particularly early on.

The Boks will have to improve significantly as a scrumming unit before the encounter with the Six Nations champion France on Saturday at Newlands.

Conditions underfoot will be heavy against arguably the best scrumming unit on the planet.

If you believe the French talk of being "tired", you will also be convinced that Jacob Zuma endorses monogamy, that Julius Malema enjoys barbecues with Afrikaners, and that no vuvuzelas will be allowed at Soccer City on Friday for the opening encounter of the Fifa Soccer World Cup between Bafana Bafana and Mexico.

No, Les Bleus are not tired. They are not over-trained or underprepared, and they have dominated the forward exchanges with the Springboks in previous encounters over the past three years.

South Africa’s toughest challenges would be to improve its scrumming as well as the cohesion as a forward unit against a very robust and physical team.

Peter de Villiers, the Bok coach, will also have to contemplate a change in game plan and approach in the absence of arguably the greatest player on the planet at the moment, Fourie du Preez.

No one in South Africa has the ability to pressurise the opposition’s back triangle with up-and-unders as well as Du Preez. In the absence of his kicking ability, there will be more pressure on Morné Steyn to do the tactical kicking on his own.

In the past week, De Villiers has been scathing in his criticism of the Super 14 coaches.

He complained that the injuries sustained by Du Preez and Andries Bekker could have been prevented if they had been used more conservatively during the buildup to the Super 14 final.

“What we have noticed since the players have come into the national squad is that a number of them were playing towards the end of the Super 14 season with niggles," he told SuperSport.com.

“That includes Andries and Fourie. Both of them will be missing Test matches now because they were pushed one game too hard in the Super 14.

“You are not looking after the interests of the player if you push him into playing in the Super 14 competition with niggles, that he can only play through with the help of painkillers,” he added.

De Villiers confirmed that Du Preez will be out for six months as he undergoes an operation that is crucial if he is to safeguard himself for next year’s World Cup.

“It was a tough decision, as we really need Fourie du Preez. Because he has gone too far in the Super 14, it may be that he has jeopardised his career. The Super 14 coaches need to keep that in mind,” added De Villiers.

Bekker, who started every game for the Stormers in the Super 14 and was their star player for most of them, is expected back next week.

He has a lower back injury and a bruised foot that was sustained when Danie Rossouw, ironically the man who would have been his second-row partner in the recent Test against Wales in Cardiff, fell on him in the Super 14 final, reported SuperSport.com.

The Test against Wales, though, has answered some tough questions.

Rossouw has proved to the world that he is the real deal as a number-4 lock, and able to replace Bakkies Botha, while Francois Louw and Dewald Potgieter are flankers of the highest class.

Juan de Jongh is developing fast and pressurising Wynand Olivier as first reserve at number 12, while Gio Aplon has proved he is not a liability in defence.

Bjorn Basson also displayed his ability to pressurise defenders and showed some class in defence.

But you could not judge the playing style of South Africa and its approach, simply because it was a disjointed team, unsettled because of the infighting surrounding the availability of Butch James and all the media scrutiny surrounding Bekker concerning his personal life.

Despite all these factors, a very rusty Springbok team was able to beat Wales and silence the critics.

The Australian team showed, in the impressive way in which it took apart Fiji, that it possesses the game breakers to become a real force in the Tri-Nations tournament in 2010.

At this stage, both Australia and France may be the two danger teams ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

South Africa is ranked number two in the world ahead of Australia and France. That position may change if France were to get the better of the Boks at Newlands on Saturday.

Do not count against France. What South Africa requires, is for its stars to spark a Bok fight back against the Six Nations champion.

In Schalk Burger, Gurthro Steenkamp, Pierre Spies, Rossouw and Victor Matfield, as well as Bryan Habana and Steyn, South Africa possess the players to do just that.

And if the Boks dominate the French team, hopefully, the latter will not retort that they were "tired" or that their stars were missing. Apart from Mathieu Bastareaud (centre), most of their other first choice players would be at Newlands in Cape Town.

Go, Bokke!