Beating the demons is called for

The task to dismantle the solid New Zealand defensive system, stop its dangerous backs in their tracks, and beat the omnipresent Richie McCaw on the ground will arguably not be as challenging as overcoming the inner demons that have been haunting South Africa for several years, when the Boks and the All Blacks meet on Saturday in Soweto for the first of the home Tests in the Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign.

Even in the previous dispensation under Jake White, the Springboks have questioned their own ability to play attacking rugby and to recycle the ball through several phases. The Bok mantra in the midsummer of White’s tenure was: play structured rugby against the All Blacks, use the mongrels to upset them at scrum time and in the lineouts, shut them out defensively, and pressurise them into fatal mistakes in their half – then use your sharpshooters to convert penalties, and you will celebrate victory.

There will be 90 000 spectators shouting for the Boks on the occasion of John Smit’s 100th Test appearance.

As a captain, Smit has been phenomenal. He was the man who had a full go at his Springbok teammates when, at a pivotal moment during the quarterfinal match against Fiji in the Rugby World Cup in 2007, the Boks were faltering and slumping to defeat. He read them the riot act, and the Boks responded through tries by Juan Smith and Butch James to set up a clash with Argentina in the World Cup semifinal.

There has been talk in the South African rugby media, and expectations in New Zealand, that South Africa will attempt a high-octane game, with Francois Hougaard providing a snappy service to Morné Steyn, and Jean de Villiers and Juan de Jongh opting for midfield attacks.

Yet, the question remains whether South Africa’s current loose trio combination would be able to ensure quick recycling of the ball.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers wants to use Francois Louw on the substitute bench, while starting with Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and Pierre Spies. Not one of them is renowned for their play on the ground. All three are attacking and dynamic ball-carriers.

The Stormers and the Bulls were impressive with the ball in hand during the Super 14 competition, but both fielded very impressive fetchers.

White might have insisted during his tenure as coach that a fetcher is as good to fetch him a beer from the fridge, but if South Africa is to beat New Zealand on Saturday, the battle of Soweto will have to be won on the ground.

By the way, De Villiers was publically roasted by the media, and criticised by SA Rugby boss Oregan Hoskins for his controversial media statements recently. Hardly days after the charges against him were overturned, De Villiers questioned the commitment of one of his senior players, Francois Steyn.

Was the Spanish Inquisition really needed? And this while some of the senior players originally almost forced De Villiers to reintroduce Steyn into the Bok fold.

Steyn has told the Rapport newspaper that he was willing to die for the Bok jersey.

Someone ought to tell De Villiers that professional players plying their trade overseas are common in sport in 2010.

In fact, soccer star Pelé played for the New York Cosmos in 1965. Did anyone question his commitment to Brazil? No, in fact he turned out for his national soccer team in World Cups from 1958 to 1970; if the Brazilian coaching staff had displayed the same short-sighted approach to professional sport as De Villiers, Pelé would not have been instrumental in catapulting the Brazilian team to the World Cup in 1970.

Hopefully, when De Villiers receives the X-rays showing the nature of Steyn’s injury, he would issue an apology to Steyn for wrongly questioning his bona fides.

South Africa has selected a superb team with enough game-breakers and quality players in the squad to ensure that the Boks win the three home games in the Tri-Nations competition.

Smit, though, will play a massive role in his 100th game. His ability to rally his troops and to instill a degree of self-confidence in them, after their implosion in New Zealand and Australia, would be paramount to the Bok cause.

If he succeeds, and succeeds well, South Africa could resurrect their international campaign in 2010 after a poor start.

Hopefully, three home victories would be the launching pad for the team's Rugby World Cup campaign of 2011.

If Smit could spark a Springbok revival, supported by a passionate home crowd, the pain and humiliation of Wellington and Brisbane would have been forgotten.

The All Blacks are virtually assured of the Tri-Nations title after four early victories, but South Africa should not be bothered by these factors.

In the wake of the acknowledgement by De Villiers that the senior Springboks need to recuperate properly for the next year before the World Cup, the selectors should use the next eight weeks wisely to look at other options before the tour to Europe at the end of the year.

Patrick Lambie, De Jongh, Gerhard van den Heever, Coenie Oosthuizen, Werner Kruger, Duane Vermeulen, Tiaan Liebenberg, Dewaldt Duvenhage, Heinrich Brussouw and even Joe Pietersen should be serious considerations for that tour.

South Africa requires a more liberal approach to team selection for the end of the year tour and must experiment in an effort to give its A team much-needed rest.

And an unwillingness to rest its senior Boks in the countdown to the Currie Cup final will almost surely be disastrous for the national campaign in the Tri-Nations and the World Cup in 2011.

The question is whether De Villiers will be proactive and bold enough to withstand the Currie Cup unions that would insist on using their Boks to put bums on seats and cups in trophy cabinets.