Chickens come home to roost

Jeez I'm disappointed.

The more things change the more they stay the same. One year ago I wrote about problems in Bok rugby. We've won a World Cup and had a change of coach since then. But the ruck and protection of possession problems are the same.

I wrote that Matfield was not even a captain's arse. Maybe that's changed. Maybe he is just a captain's arse. When Jake White took over he introduced Prozone and summarily sent Matfield home from Australia - apparently due to his refusal to get stuck in. After yesterday's match, our lineout supremo walked off the park and lamented the team's breakdown performance. I counted his attendance at about 3 rucks during the game.

If Pieter de Villiers favours players who read the game situation and adapt, how does our captain excuse understanding the problem and doing nothing about it?

In the various reviews and thoughts I've noted on this blog, I've typically lamented South African sides unwillingness to get stuck in in the loose. Under the ELVs, the need to secure quick multi-phase ball has been elevated further.

On this away leg, we have relied entirely on Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha to secure any ball at the breakdown, with some assistance from Joe van Niekerk and Juan Smith.

Yesterday's shambles showed an exhausted Botha and an injured Burger. Juan Smith was our player of the day - he tried everything. And our captain alternated between first center and wing. The much vaunted Pierre Spies disappeared. Kankowski made an anonymous late appearance.

One Australian report counted 35 Aussie turnovers of Springbok ball!

The problem does not require rocket scientists to diagnose. The solution is more complex. Of course modern rugby requires a balance of players in the ruck on and in defense. Often a similar balance is required on attack to provide quick support to the second phase ball carrier. But to ascribe our pathetic breakdown performance to getting this balance wrong is to ignore that some players in our Bok ranks do not like putting in the hard yards in cleaning the fringes and protecting our fetchers and scrummies.

De Villiers has done a fantastic job of gaining player support. In the press, his team have talked at their pleasure at providing him a win in Dunedin after the hard time he had taken after Wellington. The hard task now begins. Can he maintain this support and enforce disciplines? Can he point out the deficiencies in the team video sessions? Can he make a hard call and drop Matfield and Butch if their performance does not improve?

I'm going to dispense with the player ratings this week. They're pretty obvious. I liked the way Jean de Villiers and Steyn changed channels on defense and attack similar to the way De Villiers and Bobo had done in the Super 14. I though Juan Smith had a never-say-die performance and together with Burger and Botha tried to carry the team at the breakdown.

Beyond that it was a terrible performance. The gains at scrum time made in Dunedin were reversed. Schalk Brits showed his wobbly line out fallibility. Butch needs to be given Currie Cup time to find his game. Jantjies regressed from Wellington. Januarie struggled with no protection and shocking ball. De Villiers bounced off a tackle that resulted in a try. It was miserable stuff.

I'm scared to think of what injuries to Burger and Botha will do to this side.

Wow

I'm still drained. One and a half days later. What a performance.

At one stage of the match I imagined myself being interviewed as an old man - one of the last alive to have seen the Boks beat New Zealand in New Zealand. Forgive me for my doubts. Before Ricky Januarie's moment of brilliance, I thought we had been beaten again.

As South Africans we're never as stubborn as when we have our backs to the wall. Sometimes that backfires like at Twickenham in 2002. Perhaps that is when we give up on the thought of winning, but refuse to leave without hurting the opposition. Sometimes it works when we refuse to give an inch as we wait for a moment of weakness.

205 tackles to 89. Talk about not giving an inch. Januarie's try. Talk about maximum return on a moment of weakness. It was classic Springbok trench warfare. Repelling waves of All Black attacks in the second half. Talk about belief.

Reason to celebrate

Bryan Habana cried tears of joy at the end. Teammates erupted in joy when Januarie scored. South Africa rejoiced that not only had they built on their world champion status, they had done it in the best way possible. By beating the pretenders to their throne, at the venue where they have never won. If the All Blacks could have named an occasion to prove their claim that the Boks would have lost the World Cup to them had it not been for a poor call by a referee, it would have been a Tri-nations match in Dunedin.

But it was more significant than just that. As is so often the South African case, it was an occasion when many harboured doubts about South Africa's first non-white coach and after an acrimonious week of accusations and counters between the All Blacks and Boks after Wellington.

Reason for hope

Pieter de Villiers was magnanimous in victory yesterday. In the immediate post-match interview, it was easy to see the relief as the coach pleaded for patience from South African fans. He said we were not yet the best but that we would grow.

South Africa is again rated the best team in the world according to the rankings and the reigning world champions. It would be easy to claim greatness.

But stand in captain for the last eight minutes of the match, Jean de Villiers was equally humble.

For good reason. South Africa returned to the familiar recipe of playing off their opponents mistakes. It is a game that few other nations can succeed at. It demands sacrifice of bodies and pain, absorbing pressure and believing in your team mates. It took 22 tackles from Schalk Burger and the turnaround of a pack beaten into submission the week before.

We have some way to go before we create our own opportunities and before we start as favourites against an All Black team at full strength. But that is a journey that starts with winning matches away and building momentum.

Yesterday marked the beginning of that journey. It marked the move from Pieter de Villier's stated desire on beginning his job, to improve the team by 40% and introduce a new brand of attacking brand of rugby. At least he made these claims whilst chasing the core of the World Cup Bok team and returning players from Europe to create a platform for growth. Yesterday marked a return to this sensibility. Before we can seek to retain ball as the All Blacks did in the second half, and attack our opponents through multi-phase ball, we need to create the belief first based on our strengths.

Where to improve

We almost fell victim to the All Black second half surge yesterday. We played for most of the game without the ball. We kicked many balls straight back down the middle of the park. We committed limited numbers to the breakdown and won precious few turnovers. Our chase on our kicks was often poor and our support of the ball carrier not always optimal.

It asks a lot of a team to repel more than 10 phases, kick the ball downfield, and then have the ball run back and repel again. Often games like yesterday's are lost by fractions rather than won by similar amounts.

But the guts and bravery are the platform to change that. It is easier to improve a winning effort than a losing one. It creates the space for players like Butch who is struggling for form and who had another poor game yesterday. It creates the space to begin to target weak opposition rucks for turnovers. It creates the belief required for first phase set piece moves.

Having said that the improvement in last week's effort in Wellington was appreciable. Most notably in the scrums. Hats off to the South African forwards and the coaching staff. Matfield was certainly better and imperious in the lineouts. JP Pietersen's selection was a masterstroke. Bismark du Plessis was solid in the scrums and the loose. Thanks goodness his lineouts held up too.

Januarie deserved the man of the match based on a two week effort. I thought he was even better in the Wellington losing effort. But the moment of brilliance of this week won the game for the Boks, and his mongrel boosts the whole team.

Looking ahead

Robbie Deans represents a huge threat. His tactical appreciation combined with Australian skill levels pose a real challenge in Perth. Together with the loss of Bismark du Plessis to a banning and Butch's lack of form, the Boks will have their work cut out.

I believe the challenge will shift from a physical one to tactical nous. Our kicking game will have to be pinpoint. We have to force territorial dominance and from there look to create opportunities off lineouts and around the ruck and maul. Our support play will have to improve as will our chase of our kicks.

I believe the shift will require a commanding game from pivot. Given Butch's form, I'd want Grant on the bench and Steyn in the starting lineup. I think the World Cup final backline lineup matches the need. I'd use Steyn at first center and Monty to alternate kicking from the flyhalf channel. Of course this is a tough call on Adi Jacobs who I think has been outstanding. Grant covers Steyn at first center too though and gives extra options.

Bismark du Plessis' ban is a headache. I'd fly over Adriaan Strauss from the Free State which I see is also the Bok coaching staff choice.

My lineup for Perth:

15. Montgomery 14. Habana 13. De Villiers 12. Steyn 11. Pietersen 10. James 9. Januarie 8. Van Nierkerk 7. Smith 6. Burger 5. Matfield 4. Botha. 3. Van der Linde
2. Brits 1. Steenkamp

Reserves: Jantjies, Grant, Pienaar, Bekker, Watson, Strauss, Mujati

Player ratings from Dunedin:

Montgomery - 6: Added experience and calmness to the team and got the Boks off to a good start by goaling his kicks. Fielded the ball well with one or two exceptions.

Habana - 6: Hardly involved on attack. Solid in defence.

Jacobs - 7: Fantastic defence and marked two weeks of showing up his critics and repaying his coach's faith in him

De Villiers - 8: Another brilliant defensive performance and another leader on the field. Should be captain in Smit's absence.

Pietersen - 7: What a return. First try of the season after an awful Super 14. Brilliant selection by De Villiers.

James - 5: Really out of form. Some poor kicks, a missed tackle that led to the All Black try and regression in his defensive technique. Perhaps his form is contributing to his trying to make his mark on the game through being overly physical.

Januarie - 8: Just fantastic.I thought he was even better overall in Wellington. But his try was one of those moments to remember - it won us the match and repaid the hard defensive work put in by the whole team.

Van Niekerk - 7: Much happier behind a stronger pack. Played more of a linking game. Made some good tackles.

Smith - 7: Good defensive effort in the tackle and at the breakdown.

Burger - 8: Did the work of three men. The Boks were totally reliant on him in defence and at ruck and maul time. He needs support. If he were injured again, the Boks would be in serious trouble.

Matfield - 7: A much better performance. Has to be given credit as captain for the team effort. Was brilliant in the lineout. Still not a force at the breakdown leaving all the cleaning to Botha and Smith.

Botha - 8: Just incredible at the breakdown. Physically and psychologically hurt the opposition with his cleaning out and tackles.

Van Der Linde - 7: What a turnaround. Restored strength to the front row and removed the All Black dominance in the set piece.

Du Plessis - 6: Some great tackles and a solid lineout performance.

Steenkamp - 7: Did well at scum time and again made tackles all over the park - second only to Schalk.

Reserves:

Bekker - 7: Came on and got stuck in. Made his tackles and helped fill the immense role Bakkies had played prior to injury.

Watson - 4: It was strange to see him on. Again, not really his style of game and he did not look like he wanted to be there.

Steyn - 6: Slotted the winning conversion under pressure. Added another kicking option. Kicks downfield allowed the All Blacks to run the ball back, however may have been playing to a pattern.

Jantjies - 6: solid replacement.

Mujati, Pienaar: not on long enough for an assessment.

Coaching staff - 9: Real guts to turn it around from Wellington. Humility to acknowledge they got it wrong and change the pattern. Selection of Pietersen was inspired. Guts to return Monty for Jantjies despite the latter's really good performance last week.

A tale of two halves

Jeez. Gutted. Another test in New Zealand test lost.

That first half was a vintage All Black Springbok clash. All the intensity, bravery, passion.The rucks were ferocious and the defence committed. Thrilling stuff and I definitely got the feeling I was watching the two best teams in the world.

It started with the Haka. As always, it seems like you can tell so much with the way New Zealand lines up for the challenge. The hunger was apparent. And it just looked like it was a team out to prove they were not completely dependent on Richie McCaw. The pre-match hype about "South Africa's best chance in New Zealand" and "Take them with McCaw out" must have inspired the All Blacks to play for Soialo.

I think the All Black side always hits you at a million miles an hour out of the shed. They were no different today. What made this vintage was the Bok counter. John Smit was every bit Captain Fantastic. He led the challenge at ruck time with Burger and Bakkies in fantastic support.

But it was clear even when we were playing so well that Matfield was a spectator. Maybe it was because the All Blacks managed to keep the pressure on and force our kicks and lineouts on their own throw. The first 7 lineouts were all All Black throw-ins and they won them all. Matfield was anonymous and deserved a rocket for his lack of presence at the breakdown. It has never been his strength and it has always been very clear he would rather play center than graft in the rucks. The exception was against the All Blacks at Newlands in August 2005. Somebody should play that match to the Boks before every All Black test. Matfield should have in on permanent repeat. It was the perfect Bok pack performance in 2005. It was nowhere near that today. It said everything that we had an extra player in the rucks when Monty came on.

Speaking of pack performances, the All Black front row is without peer in World rugby - because of their props. Somerville and Woodcock were unbelievable. If we had got the go-forward in the pack in the first half, this might have been a different game. Somerville and Woodcock made sure that didn't happen. Nothing against Steenkamp, Van Der Linde or Mujati - and especially Smit or Du Plessis. The counter was courageous but always on the back foot.

I thought our starting back row was inspirational. Burger, Van Niekerk and Smith were fantastic and it was questionable subbing Van Niekerk in the second half. Burger and Botha carried team at rucks and Botha deserves all the plaudits in the world for that. The two also showed an enormous work rate around the park making tackle after tackle. Those talking of Matfield being off the pace considering his recent play in the French second league should consider Burger has had 20 minutes since his knee ligament injury.

Backline - encouraging but not controlling

In the back, the back three proved to everyone they were safe under the high ball. Now and again Ndugane's positional play may have been questioned as Carter kicked into space behind his wing. Carter was every bit the world's best flyhalf today - on attack and defence.

Ndugane and Jacobs showed their critics up with solid defensive efforts. Jacobs showed good touches on attack too and was directly responsible for putting De Villiers into space to create Habana's try.

But the player of the day for the Boks was Januarie. He is back to his best form. He used to be the perfect player against Gregan because he managed to get up Georgie's nose. Today he was much more than that. He played the scrummie role to perfection. Quick service and getting the ball out without enough protection from clearing players at the ruck. He kicked from the base and controlled his aggression. It was mystery why he was subbed by Conradie.

Second half psychology

We lost the match when we came on psychologically behind in the second half. World Champions who had just scored going into the half time break 8-9 behind should have inspired the team to come back believing it was only a matter of time before we took the lead. Instead those first 15 minutes were all All Blacks as we looked devoid of tactics. Butch needed to seize control. He was strangely off today and coughed a lot. Maybe he was sick. If so, it needed a decisive substitution early in the second half.

Steyn was not the player to take control. While his 60m almost-drop was astonishing, the charge down of his kick from his line was all-too familiar. I would have brought Monty on at flyhalf early in the second half and brought Steyn on on Odwa's wing to add some spark. Monty would have added an experienced controlling head. Odwa was courageous but was bounced off in three tackles due to a high body position. If he starts next week he has to go lower and drive into the tackle.

Our substitution tactics showed the coaching team tried to change the team to play to the ball and catch up rugby. The need for Watson for Van Niekerk and Steyn at flyhalf at 60 minutes were the result of the wrong tactics at the beginning of the second half.

The other aspect of our play today that worried me greatly was lack of support for ball carriers at the back or out wide. We conceded a number of turnovers as the All Blacks committed numbers to the chase. Conversely we never committed numbers to the chase.

Dunedin challenge

I'm not sure what the injury situation is, but Bekker coming on for Bakkies must have been injury enforced. That leaves question marks over Smit, Bakkies, Van Der Linde and Butch. Which is a serious worry for Dunedin.

The pressure is now on De Villiers. He has lost his first test and the loss breaks the Bok 12-match winning run. We have to sort out the front row prior to Dunedin. Gold's work will be cut out for him. De Villiers must consider his substitution strategy too. He has to use the Bok World Cup Final experience better. By merely re-constituting that World Cup Final backline, he'd add confidence. He needn't start with it - Jantjies was brilliant today - but if he'd reorganised 5 minutes into the second half today, I think Jantjies, Steyn, Jacobs, De Villiers, Monty, Habana would have looked like he'd brought on the stars to close out the game.

We've never won in Dunedin. Decisiveness is required to change that next week.

Ratings

Jantjies - 8: A very good performance from South Africa's form fullback. Solid under the high ball and good on the counter.

Ndugane - 6: Solid generally, but bounced out of three tackles close to his line. Needs to drive into the tackle with lower body position.

Jacobs - 7: Under huge pressure to prove his coach right going into the match. Set up the Bok try. Solid in defence.

De Villiers - 6: Should have been made captain when Smit went off. Solid and committed in the tackle. Great run to put Habana away. Also drove forward in the tackle making valuable metres on attack.

Habana - 6: Covered well around the park and scored a good try. Seldom put into space but was not really the weather for his kind of rugby.

James - 5: Strangely off. Needed to control the game but never looked confident. Coughed a lot and looked sick.

Januarie - 9: Outstanding. Under pressure on our own ball, was always there to clear before conceding a turnover. Courageous tackling. Controlled aggression.

Van Niekerk - 7: Grafting role required in the weather which he played well. The scrum never dominated resulting in a lack of a platform for his usual pick ups from the back.

Smith - 6: Solid grafting role. Vintage blindside play in the first half where he was required to play the hard yards.

Burger - 7: Unbelievable to consider he has had 20 minutes of game time since knee ligament damage. Huge tackles and workrate. Cleared rucks and led the forward charge.

Matfield - 3: Very poor. Complete lack of commitment. Possibly because he denied a starriing role in the lineouts early on by All Black tactics. But you have to question him not getting into first gear given the importance of the match.

Botha - 8: Wow. Tireless work rate at the rucks, controlled aggression, got around the park in support. Fantastic.

Van Der Linde - 5: Suffered in the scrums. Left with an apparent injury. Things actually looked like they improved when Mujati came on.

Smit - 7: Hugely valuable as a captain, scrummager and in the tight loose. His loss to injury is extremely worrying and robbed the Boks of direction in the game.

Steenkamp - 6: Good workrate around the park and improved in the scrums as the game went on.

Substitutions

Montgomery - 6: Showed the experience in putting a kick for position into touch downfield when nothing else was on. We needed the tactical appreciation throughout the second half.

Mujati - 6: Did very well considering doubts over his ability to stand up to the All Black front row. Looked like he improved the scrum when Van Der Linde went off.

Steyn - 5: Almost pulled off a 60m drop. But the charge down of his kick from his line showed his mercurial nature. He has never looked as good as when he played inside center in the World Cup. It seemed this allowed him to play a role where less decision making pressure was required and he had the support of experience on his inside and outside. Given how Jacobs played, he needs to re-establish himself as a first choice in the squad - and the coaches need to agree his role is at 12.

Watson - 5: Not the game for Watson - weather and match position didn't suit his style.

Du Plessis - 6: Started very poorly and got in the way of good attack ball in the backs. Gradually improved.

Bekker, Conradie: Not enough game to comment.

Coaching staff - 5: Got the second half completely wrong. But disrupted by losing Smit.

Soweto dropped from Boks ticker tape parade

On the same day that that shining liberal, paragon of rationale and good sense JJ Harmse* saluted SARU for their role in helping the Boks win the World Cup, the geniuses in the Rugby administration dropped Soweto from the Johannesburg ticker tape parade. Instead, the parade will now focus on paying tribute to the sponsors with a trip past Vodaworld in Midrand, Sasol in Rosebank and ABSA in the city.

In the last two weeks we had well wishes from the ANC Youth League and Young Communists League prior to the final, President Mbeki at the final, Nelson Mandela visit Boktown and millions of black Bok supporters in the fan towns in the townships during the game. Then Cabinet had an entire cabinet meeting in Springbok regalia. And the sports ministry reversed its open antagonism to the Springbok colours, logo and coach.

And then SARU dropped Soweto from the ticker tape route. Maybe it's just me, but saying "We're going to have to drop Soweto from the route" out loud just sets off all sorts of alarm bells. Hell, if I say it in my head it sounds ridiculous.

What an opportunity missed. Imagine Bryan Habana holding the trophy aloft in Soweto. The symbolism and promotion opportunity just couldn't be beaten.

Funny, I thought ticker tape parades were about fans. Guess who pays the huge bank charges, high petrol prices and crazy cell phone rates that make the Bok sponsorship deals possible - the fans. If you wanted to thank the corporate staff, have a combined function.

Instead of having taken a trip via Vodaworld and stopped off at Sasol for lunch, logistics could have been eased by going directly via Sandton, the CBD and then on to Soweto ending up at Nasrec for a combined sponsors' function. As it is, the team is ending up at ABSA Boktown, Monte Casino.

They way they keeping shooting, I can't believe SARU have any feet left.

A suggestion SARU - announce tomorrow that you will be bringing the trophy to Soweto for a send off prior to the Wales/Barbarians tour.

*Every word is sarcasm - JJ Harmse should be writing on a blog called "The Blue Bulls are all that matter"

**Take a look at the fan response to the article on News24 - clearly the stupidity of the move is acknowledged by almost all rational South Africans.

Bokke bo!

So this is a post high on drunken spirit and emotion.

The team hoists President Mbeki high with the Rugby World Cup - Picture: Reuters

It's 03h00 and the end to a fantastic week. The tension was phenomenal. Those who thought this was going to be another 36-0 whipping were always going to be wrong. Finals aren't like that. They draw out the best in people.

Let's start by giving England credit. They were magnificent. To recover from that loss to the Boks in the pool match and come back to make the final beating Australia and France along the way was special. If you doubt the strength and quality of the side, look at their statistics going into this match. The English forwards were immense. Not just at scrum time, but at the breakdown too.

Today was all the better performance by the Boks because the English went into this match with nothing to lose. The pressure was on the Boks. You could see it when they ran onto the field. Their pale faces and steely looks spoke of the unbelievable tension they must have faced going into this match.

Further, this match was not just about winning the World Cup for south Africa. South African life is never that simple. It was about playing for a coach who had a gun to his head. It was about playing for a game that was under pressure to put demographics before victory. It was about giving a nation relief from the assault on its psyche from crime and the difficulty of rebuilding the South African dream.

Hugh Bladen said that Percy Montgomery was too scared to go outside this week in case he got a cold. You could see the pressure of a nation's expectations in his eyes. Francois Steyn's pale face betrayed the pressure on a twenty year old expected to play a faultless game. And Victor Matfield's gaunt look spoke of the pressure on a man expected to win every lineout.

The English ran onto the field with a plan. The often recited criticisms of the Bok back three under the high ball were the bedrock of the English tactic. Together of course with the assault of their pack at scrum time and at ruck ball.

What a response. I said in my pre-match report that the Boks would not turn around a deficient scrum in one week. After looking fragile in the first scrum, weren't they magnificent thereafter? Did you count the wheels on English ball? Did you see the pressure on the English backs? And what of those high balls? Let's face it Monty does not often leap into the sky and claim the high ball in close competition. He was fantastic tonight. And those rucks. The clean out by Bakkies Botha on Phil Vickery in the first half was the stuff of legends.

This was never a match to do more than required to beat the English. If you expected waves of attack with ball to the wings you were always going to be disappointed. If you believe that the disallowed try to the English cost them the game, you failed to see the Boks measuring their effort. Cutting out mistakes was always the first priority. Playing for position the second. And staying ahead on the scoreboard the most important result. If that try had been allowed, I am sure the Boks would have responded.

Once Francois Steyn forgot the script and stepped past three English defenders to put the Boks close. Danie Roussouw finished inches short. It did not matter. Whenever the Boks got the opportunity to kick at poles, Monty never looked like missing. Together with a long range effort from Steyn, those kicks progressively played the English out of the game.

We never got to see the Boks play a set move in the English 22. Never got to see an Eddie Jones inspired strike. That was testimony to the English response. There was not a lot wrong with the Bok line kicking tonight. The competition were just that good.

We also never got to see a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal. We almost saw Matthew Tait score, but not quite. We never got to see Jason Robinson cut through our defenders. The Boks were just that good.

What a victory. What a moment. What country ever hoists their president on their shoulders in the moment of a sporting triumph? To overstate the importance of this win is difficult.

Once my friends and I had finished our catered game function, I took them to a West African Jo'burg club. Along the way, the streets resounded with hooting and people waved flags from their windows. The club is 99% black and a favourite of mine for the incredible vibe and its particular music. I proudly walked in my Springbok jumper. I was hugged three times and engaged in many enthusiastic conversations. There were a number of other Springbok jerseys. This was about OUR team winning the WORLD cup.

Celebrations in Cape Town as the team wins - Picture: Reuters

Naas Botha was right in his commentary at the end of the match. We didn't make enough of the win in the 1995 world cup. We need to take everything we can from this victory. Strike a blow to the political posturing of the sporting demagogues. This victory was not about Afrikaner superiority. It was about uniting a nation behind being the best in the world. Strike a blow against a farcical administration - constructed to preserve the seats of power of past presidents and no longer relevant to the professional game. Strike a blow against the pathetic pace of transformation and take this game to the townships, the platteland and the people. That South Africa needs more Bryan Habanas and JP Pietersens is in no doubt. Given that those particular players cam from perhaps less than 10% of the rugby playing population by race speaks of the opportunity in taking the game to the masses, where the opposite percentages apply, and unleashing our talent on the world.

Finally, strike a blow against the continued interruption of coaching continuity and keep Jake White - Eddie Jones too if we could. This could be the beginning. The glitter to our crown would be to bring home next year's Tri-Nations. We are now the target for everyone that believes we did less than we should have to win this world cup. Yes Jake was wrong and politically naive to threaten the administration in 2006. And yes he needed a mentor / confidant to relieve the pressure piled upon him by South Africa's unique circumstances. I was irritated by his manipulation before a 2006 test match. He was wrong. I was irritated by his spin and defensiveness after poor results. He was wrong. But keeping him was right - is right. I was wrong.

Well done Boks. This was a magnificent performance. There is no need for player ratings. You all scored 10 out of 10 tonight.

A fan celebrates the Bok victory in Pretoria - Picture: Reuters

Kicking out of hand will decide the World Cup

36-0 will count for nothing tomorrow. At the beginning of the game the scoreboard will state 0-0.

Further, the English have turned their game around since their pool match against South Africa. The combination of their locks with their loosies at ruck time has been magnificent. They have recognised that the Tri-Nations teams commit fewer players to the rucks and have targeted the breakdown. Simon Shaw and Ben Kay have been magnificent at adding vigor to the cleaning. While the Boks have far better fetching skills than the English, this will mean little if support is slow to arrive on attacking ball. With Matfield's looser role, this could be slow poison for the potent South African backs and reduce our attacking advantage to parity.

To emphasise the English strength at the breakdown consider that the English have conceded 63 turnovers. The Boks have conceded 80. The English have won 305 rucks and lost just 19. The Boks have won 207 and lost 24.

South Africa's scrumming issues will not have been solved in a week. Poor quality ball against the wheel will mean the Bok line will be forced to kick more than they would like, or play crash ball. This will also open the game up for Gomarsall. The English scrummie has been sheer class since missing the pool game against the Boks, and Fourie du Preez will have his hands full tomorrow.

South Africa should have a far better time at the line out and this will form the Boks primary attacking platform. The South African's will be expecting to dominate this area and this will encourage the kicking game - traditional test rugby. Good lineout ball in good positions will allow the backs attacking options and this is where Eddie Jones' influence will be seen. The Boks have had limited opportunities to show some Aussie running lines thus far. When they have, they have looked sharp. Expect to see quick ball from the back of the lineout be spread quickly. The backs will make use of dummy runners with Habana and Pietersen coming in on the wrap around. Jaque Fourie revels in running ball on a tight line off his inside player's shoulder. He'll score or switch back on his inside. Francois Steyn must look to offload a fraction earlier if this is to work. As brilliant as Mike Catt has been for the English thus far, he'll be exposed in these plays. Attacking off 13 will put the defensive burden on the men in white's centers and away from the blanket that is Jonny Wilkinson. Simon Tait will be in for a torrid time tomorrow.

Lineout stats are fairly even between the the teams so far. The English have won 58 and lost 9. The Boks have also won 58 but lost only 6.

Final rugby is about minimising mistakes, and tomorrow will be no different. A quick score off turnover ball can suck the wind out of a team given the tight defenses of world cup finalists. There will be a lot of kicking for position. The English will not want Habana pouncing on a loose ball and running the length of the field. And while Tait might be a defensive weakness, he's got the pace to ask questions of South Africa. They will not want to give him any opportunities. Anything within range will be taken tomorrow. Kicking form will be crucial and Montgomery has the record over Wilkinson this tournament. Don't be surprised to see a return to form for the English pivot tomorrow though. He is BMT personified.

Given all of the above, I think tomorrow will be decided by kicking out of hand and handling. If the South African line kicks are poor, it will give the English opportunities to run the ball up and set up phases. If they respect possession and show patience, they will dominate the recycling points. If this happens, Cronje, Matifeld, Botha and Smith will have to turn in a performance like that of 2005 against the All Blacks at Newlands - almost the perfect game. If this happens it will go down to the wire. The English will not create much and it will come down to a few points. Kicking at poles will be paramount. Under that scenario I'd back the Boks to win - 21-18.

If the Boks are pinpoint with their positional kicking, this could be nasty for the English. Given time in the English 22 with good lineout ball, the Boks should run the English line ragged. Given that scenario, I'd favour a big score for a final - 28-9.

Good luck Bokke!!

Let's start by saying nothing else matters for 80 minutes this Saturday. A team picked from a nation of 48 million, as their best, their most talented, their most revered, will arrive at Stade de France on Saturday. They will have traveled in nervous anticipation. Some will have listened to their iPod. Others would have sat in quiet contemplation. Some might have been moved to say a few words.

They will exit the bus to a relative cacophony of noise - even if the bus arrives at a secluded entry point. The adrenalin will start to rush. Nervous anticipation. It's like that moment when you're on the edge of a bungi jump platform and you know that the moment has arrived. There is a point where you just want to get on with it.

They'll walk to their change room and the various approaches to preparing will begin. They'll change into their practice kit and begin their warm up procedures.

At this time they'll be entering the zone. They'll walk down the tunnel and into the theatre of dreams. Stade de France is huge and the stands are bit further back from the pitch than grounds like Newlands. The stadium will still be largely empty, but even if it was full the players wouldn't see the faces - just the view in the manner you might see from car. The immediacy of the grass and the air will be closer to their minds. They might be thinking of the occasion. Mindful of the fact that this moment might be the pinnacle of their lives. There will be nervousness. Everyone deals with fear of failure. Their sports psychologist will have worked to ensure that it is not a gnawing fear that will cause paralysis or indecision at a crucial moment of the match.

Having stretched in the changed rooms, they'll be getting the muscles warm now. More stretching with team-mates will be followed with some warm up runs and some practice kicks. They'll be seeking to get that rhythm going now. What golfers call muscle memory. You can't think anymore. You have practiced and analyzed and now it is about doing it. The stadium will begin to fill and the players will return to the change-rooms.

Changing into the match jersey will be a special moment. It will be embroidered with "World Cup Final 2007 - South Africa versus England." It will be something the players will show their grandchildren one day. Right now it will make the dream very real. Nervous energy will begin to give rise to passionate talk by the coach and captain. Senior players might exhort the players to go out there and play like it is the only match that will matter for the rest of their lives. They will remind the team that there are little boys and girls and fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers waiting in front of their televisions and radios right now. There are people coming in from working in the fields of the Northern Cape. Miners coming home or going to the pub. People gathering in front of TV shop windows. They will remind them that this is not just a game. They will remind them that in 1995 the win united a nation. People black and white young and old celebrated in the streets as they shouted "We are the best in the world!"

The coach will endeavor to put the players into the first gear. Remind them that there is nothing they have not thought of or not prepared for. That this is their destiny as surely as the win is. That when the whistle blows they will know what to do. That the preparation started four years ago and their bodies and minds have never been more ready for anything.

In the huddle, players may or may not realize that this will be the last time they will be in this family. That once the final whistle blows and the celebrations and tears are over, men they regard as brothers will move on. This will be the last time they run out with the overwhelming goal in mind: win the 2007 world cup.

Bokke ja! Bokke ja! Bokke ja!



And then it will begin. They will leave the change room to meet their destiny. To deliver dreams. To be one of the heroes they once idolised. All it will take is 80 minutes of their lives. The time it might take to watch a movie. Maybe less time than a visit to the gym. It will be 80 minutes of moments. Moments of brilliance. Moments of doubt. Moments of despair. And maybe, hopefully, one of triumph.

Go boys.

Not very good

First of all congratulations to Fiji. What an effort. Just like France and England showed the value of heart and passion, so did Fiji who threw everything at the Boks.

To the Boks, well done for refocusing and grinding out some forward dominated tries at crucial times.

But oh, why did the Fijians ever get the chances they did? Was all the talk this week about keeping it tight a bluff or did the Boks forget the script?

As good as Francois Steyn has been thus far (truly one of the finds of the tournament and likely to be a Bok great), his option taking exemplified some poor thinking by the Boks. Steyn held on a fraction too long at times and then fluffed passes in the tackle. At other times, going to ground, setting up clean ball and clearing for position would have been the better option. Given all the talk about the game plan, one would think this would have been automatic.

Instead we created opportunities for the Fijians in our half. Then we hopelessly messed up our defensive alignment. And then we fell off an alarming number of tackles. The result was a number of overlaps. If Fiji had focused on drawing their men and putting the ball through hands, they might well have run out winners.

The Boks must have benefited from watching yesterday's upsets. John Smit said as much in post-match interviews. Perhaps then another scrape will shape their execution as they head to the more difficult prospect of Argetina (surely?) and then England or France. Just as England benefited against Australia from having played for their lives to get there, perhaps South Africa will be better prepared as a result of the scares against Tonga and Fiji.

In the mean time, I take back every criticism I ever made of JP Pietersen. His try saving tackle was crucial today. If Fiji had gone up on the scoreboard, we might not have pulled it back. Well done.

Four more years

Gregan's chant must be ringing in the All Blacks' ears right now. And ironically too, like a boomerang, back in the ears of Georgie.

What a day! If the Tri-Nations are the top three in world rugby, we've picked a funny way to show it. After all the self congratulatory commentary about the state of Northern hemisphere rugby during the World Cup pool games, Australia and New Zealand were reminded that rugby is a game between 30 mere mortals and with an oval shaped ball. Passion and bounce can upset the odds.

While both England and France played with passion and surely enjoyed the bounce of the ball, both set out with well laid out plans to beat their more fancied opponents. England targeted the Super 14 style three man rucks with committed numbers and counter rucking. France decided that playing in the opposition's half was half the battle.

England break down the Aussies

England were magnificent at the breakdown today. Shaw and Moody were ferocious. And it is about time. Of course committing numbers to the ruck opens up defensive holes in your own line. But in a modern game where turnover ball remains the most potent attacking threat, attacking key breakdowns unlocks ball and space. The Australians were shell shocked. They tried guile to win at scrum time, and after the English were initially penalised, Alain Rolland appeared to realise that Dunning is the Oscar winner we've all been pointing out. His collapsing of scrums is the Aussies' only way of gaining parity at the set piece. With the forwards that rattled, the backs were left with too much to do. Except for one moment of brilliance from new kid Berrick Barnes. His wrap around with Aussie dummy runners was vintage Eddie Jones and Barnes' Reds/Jones pedigree was easy to see. If the Aussies' had secured better ball, Tuqiri's try from the move would surely have been one of many. They didn't and the English passion, commitment and robust play paid off.

Despite having kicked the points, Johnny Wilkinson looks a shadow of his former self. Not even his kicking is a patch on what it was. He's showed patches of from thus far and one or two touches against the Tongans got the English into the quarters. But he's a player short of match practice. As bad as Catt was against South Africa, he was immense today. When Catt and Wilkinson click, the English are a different team. If they do next week, we could see England in the final.

All Blacks choke again

The French promised similar things. They attacked the first few breakdowns with similar freneticism. But the All Blacks pedigree is better than that of the Aussies, and they immediately committed more numbers. The French played for position as we knew they would. Jake White's scepticism at the game plan looked well-founded as the French looked innocuous and the All Blacks responded with some sublime McAlister brilliance. Twice he ran the French ragged, first almost putting Ali Williams over and finally went over himself to put the All Blacks well ahead.

But McAlister proved mercurial and from the highs the plunged to the low of being sent off for obstructive running early in the second half. The French took full advantage and Thierry Dusautoir was a deserved scorer as they pulled the game back.

The famous French counter attack allowed Jauzion to cancel out a So'oialo effort. As the Gallic spirit grew, they repelled 27 phases of largely pick-and-go attacks on their line before forcing an All Black knock on. It was typical of the French defence which saw them make 178 tackles to the All Blacks 36. Ultimately it won them the day.

The All Blacks were in it right until the end though. At 18 to 20 down, a drop goal would have done it and they had an ample chance 22m out on the 75th minute. Instead McAlister tried a 50m effort just before full time. It summed up World Cup history for the All Blacks. Should've, would've, could've.

Good for the game

Was this good for rugby? Any win that exemplifies spirit and passion is good for the game. We saw bloodied England players give it all. We saw one of the bravest players in the game, Serge Betson, in a brave but ultimately horrific moment put his body on the line to make a tackle. Luckily he looked OK if shaky when he left the field. Finally, we saw tactical nous win over reputation. So yes, a great day's rugby.

Something strange happened to the referees though. In both matches, the new ruck laws were hardly blown. The English flew into rucks and clearly went of their feet. There were moments when there were clearly boots on players. But the whistle wasn't blown. The officials also missed two clear forward passes (at least) in the French All Black game. While I loved the return to old style rucking and resultant competition rather than league style restarts, if we're going to have laws they have to be blown. Just as if we're going to have citing, then be consistent. Not knowing how the game is going to be controlled makes things lottery. And that is no good for a game looking to convert viewers already confused by strange rules and interpretations.

Of course every South African (especially me) wants to see the Springboks beat each of the top teams en route to winning a final, a la 1995. But we must play the hand we're dealt. That starts by being ruthless against Fiji tomorrow. While Fiji shouldn't have a chance, "should" played no role today.

What a huge investment in Pretorius

Jake White tried to play Andre Pretorius into shape today. It almost cost the Boks a match.

Don't get me wrong, I think Jake and Eddie Jones are doing a great job at the world cup and the team have my 100% support. Almost all the decisions have paid off. But taking Andre Pretorius along after such a long lay off was a huge risk.

Pretorius is a mercurial player at the best of times and such players survive on confidence. When his kicks were missing the posts, you could sense the contagion spreading to the rest of his game. His line kicking was atrocious and his running lines were worse.

So what to do?

If Francois Steyn wasn't showing such form and potential at inside center I'd say it is fairly obvious that he should be Butch's backup and be given time in the position. That would have included moving him to flyhalf as a sub for Pretorius at half time.

Considering the first choice side, and not wanting to disrupt two positions, the other option is moving Ruan Pienaar in as Butch's understudy.

But as much talent as Pienaar has, I get scared thinking of him replacing Butch there in a World Cup final.

So I think I'd settle on Julies moving to inside center and Steyn to flyhalf. Even that makes me scared given the youngster's inexperience.

What this all betrays is the lack of form and depth beyond Butch. And a few months ago I didn't think I'd even be saying that. So well done Butchie.

The rest

The Tongans were far faster to and physical at the rucks than the English. While our low numbers to the rucks and slow ball worked in the English game given the focus on field position and kicking (under that game plan you commit fewer players to the ruck in order to chase and bolster the defensive lines), it does hint that we'll be under pressure against sides with stronger, faster packs like the All Blacks. With Bobby playing loose and Roussouw slow to the ball, Wickus was left with too much to do with only really Bakkies in support. Juan Smith made a real difference when he came on.

If Roussouw was to be replaced in the first choice line up (which might be moot given what looked like a serious neck injury - get well Daniesaurus), Wickus, Juan and Schalk (as 6, 7 and 8) might be the combination with Bobby on the bench.

Meisiekind looked out of form at outside center and Ashwin looked a shadow of his former self. His lack of pace when he made a clear break was startling and sad.

Januarie looked far better. Gary Botha played hard in the loose, but his throwing and scrumming was shown up when replaced by John Smit.

For the other replacements, Monty looked fairly ordinary when winning his record 90th cap (that fly kick...), Matfield looked brilliant in the line outs, Steyn, Smit and Habana looked good. Both Steyn and Habana looked unfairly done over with the yellow cards. I'm not sure how disciplinary records come into play into this world cup, but let's hope it never comes to that.

The USA

The purpose of this game was to give our replacements some game time and allow them to find form if they are needed as replacements later in the campaign.

We learnt a few things, but the form was sadly elusive.

So I think we have to carry this forward to the match against the USA. I know Jake has said he will play his first XV and allow them to build momentum for the semis. But I think the second forty will allow us to do that. That said, I think Jacque Fourie needs game time.

My team for the USA would be:

15. Ruan Pienaar 14. Akona Ndugane 13. Jacque Fourie 12. Wayne Julies 11. JP Pietersen 10. Francois Steyn 9. Ricky Januarie 8. Bobby Skinstad (capt) 7. Juan Smit 6. Wickus van Heerden 5. Johan Muller 4. Albert van der Berg 3. CJ van der Linde 2. Bismark du Plessis 1. Gurthro Steenkamp

Subs: Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Schalk Botha, John Smit, BJ Botha, Percy Montgomery, Bryan Habana

Second half 15. Percy Montgomery 14. Akona Ndungane 13. Jacque Fourie 12. Wayne Julies 11. Bryan Habana 10. Francois Steyn 9. Ruan Pienaar 8. Schalk Burger 7. Juan Smit 6. Wickus van Heerden 5. Victor Matfield 4. Bakkies Botha 3. BJ Botha 2. John Smit (capt) 1. Gurthro Steenkamp

Ndungane gets a full game, the loose trio gets a test, Steyn gets a full run at flyhalf, Johan Muller (assuming fit), Bismark du Plessis and Julies get game time.

This leads to my team for the quarter finals:

15. Percy Montgomery 14. Bryan Habana 13. Jacque Fourie 12. Francois Steyn 11. JP Pietersen 10. Butch James 9. Fourie du Preez 8. Schalk Burger 7. Juan Smith 6. Wickus van Heerden 5. Victor Matfield 4. Bakkies Botha 3. BJ Botha 2. John Smit 1. Os du Randt

Subs: Wayne Julies, Ruan Pienaar, Bobby Skinstad, Johan Muller, CJ can der Linde, Bismark du Plessis and Gurthro Steenkamp

This allows Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn to be used as utility backs with Steyn possibly given the second half against Wales at flyhalf (Julies comes on at inside center). It also allows a full front row substitution if the match is won early. Johan Muller gives extra flexibility as a lock or loosie replacement.

The Bok problems are systemic

This post is also being carried on Ou Grote and Ruggaworld

Schalk Burger makes yet another tackle during the match against the All Blacks - Photo: Getty Images

Let's get this straight - South African rugby is in a a better state on the playing field than it has been in many years. We currently have the best depth of talent of any rugby nation. Sadly, off the field and possibly at Bok level, things fall apart.

Coming back to win against the Aussies last week was a tick against the character of the Bok side. Whether it should have required two brilliant drop goals or have been settled through taking earlier penalties is a moot point.

However, let's also be blatantly honest about the last few weeks. We have not once hit our straps. Not even for a 20 minute period. By hitting our straps, I'm talking about putting it all together like the Bulls did against the Reds to win their place in a semi-final. Of course, those days don't happen very often. Not for a full 80 minutes. But consider one thing - watch yesterday's test against the All Blacks and marvel at them clicking for about ten minutes between about about the 27th and the 37th minutes. The interplay between backs and forwards was breathtaking, as was their retention, lack of mistakes, support play and running lines.

Now consider the overall pattern of Bok play. It is difficult to pick out a period where the Boks looked breathtaking. Could this be the beginning of the payoff of Graham Henry's conditioning program and the impact of some very hard rugby on the Boks? That's the excuse Jake made after the match. Besides the fact that the All Blacks might benefit from the conditioning program and that they might be beginning to find one another in a way that a side can only do through playing together, I'm not buying the "Boks are tired" excuse. Of course the injury to John Smit is proving to be massive. Of course the Boks are missing their world class finisher, Habana. And of course, Hougaard might have been a better bet to close out yesterday's game than Frans Steyn, but looking for excuses there misses the bigger problems.

Captaincy

Despite Heyneke Meyer's opinions to the contrary, Victor Matfield is not even a captain's arse. Sure a captain needs to have the players' respect and preferably be the best in his position. However, reading the game's state of play remains the elusive quality in South African captaincy ranks. There have been remarkably few captains in South Africa, at provincial or national level, that have been able to read the game and alter tactics. In recent times, Bobby Skinstad stands out and possibly Gary Teichman. There have been others who could get their teams to win through loyalty and bloody mindedness, but that approach takes its toll. In days gone by, Micheal du Plessis was one of the finest readers of the game I've ever seen. Naas was pretty good. Morne du Plessis was one of those thinkers and motivators. We really don't have too many players like that around at the moment.

Scrumming

For some reason we believe we have the birthright to dominate at scrum time. Let's just kill that idea once and for all. As powerful a player as Os still is. As world class as our locks are. As big as some of our loosies are. We have looked average in every match this season - England, Samoa, Australia and now New Zealand. Let's also give John Smit his due. His absence must have reddened a few faces in Pretoria and that of Stofile. The impact of Smit's loss at scrum time and in captaincy has been immense. If all it does is to shut up the maniacal Gary Botha / one eyed Bulls supporters who call into Super Rugby on a Monday and rant about Gary Botha's divine right to don the green and gold, then perhaps we're closer to getting real with ourselves.

Structure and options

Of late, many have criticised South African coaches for coaching creativity out of players. This may well be true. However, general principles do apply. Attacking off turnover ball, playing for position when up on the scoreboard, running lines, etc. David Campese made an observation after the Australia test. He said that he believes support players should be calling the running lines and attack, not the ball carrier - this prevents isolation. Whether he's right or wrong, it is the absence of these types of principles that often results in poor option taking and lack of structure on the field. Somewhere in the second quarter yesterday, the Boks won a fantastic turnover just inside their half. What happened? Butch kicked the ball.

At around the 65th minute yesterday, the Boks suddenly remembered the pick and go as a tactic. They tried about 5 of them before getting smashed and conceding the turnover. Making the right choices spontaneously comes from hours of practice and experience. Making the right choices according to the field position, ball quality and match situation comes from leadership, communication and planning.

Rucking

Those of you who know me, know that I believe this is the number one issue with South African rugby. Yesterday showed this up again. People can point to individuals all they like, but we have to acknowledge that our ruck-time patterns are just horribly wrong. In the nineties, rugby science began to question the optimal numbers committed to rucks and the impact on next-phase attacks or defence. Whatever the conclusions, the result has been that our rucks have lost their optimum patterns and some players do not commit at all.

Rucks need the right combinations of players to work. An attacking ruck needs good ball carriers, good supporting runners, cleaners and quick service. A defensive ruck needs good contesting (through the fetcher / opensider) and good pressure through committed counter rucking. Both defensive and offensive rusks need clearly aligned support for the next phase.

The offensive ruck provides the best opportunity for penetrating the stronger defences of today. While lineouts suck in the majority of forwards and allow the start of the maul, rucks allow teams multi-phase play with potential quick ball and allow the attacking team to more precisely control the position and timing of the attack. Quick ruck-time ball remains a deadly threat to even the best defensive teams. Depending on the field position and state of the opposition defensive lines, the attacking team may choose to pick-and-go, break and set up a maul, swing the ball wide, suck in players and kick for space, or set up another ruck. Further, ball carriers can choose the point of impact and use this to target players in the other team, committing them to the ruck on defence. Defending the ruck saps energy and opens up space. To make this work, playing patterns need to be precise. As much as we are moving towards the uniformly large, fast and strong rugby player, eighth-men and closed-siders tend to make better ball carriers, locks tend to make better cleaners and front rowers tend to provide better support in the later phases. Combinations need to work together on the optimal running lines to ensure the ball carrier is not isolated and that target point of attack is committed. The reason for the roles of each forward is often as simple as the fact that the first phase is often a scrum and those roles are determined by the break-up pattern of the forwards. But clearly their physical attributes play a role.

Back to Springbok rugby, and the commitment of the players to this pattern is limited. Yesterday's game clearly showed Matfield's liability at ruck time and Bakkies' lack of fitness (he was again fantastic for the first 30 minutes, Matfield was pretty much absent throughout). Consider the possession stats that saw the Boks with more than 60% up after 30 minutes and end on just above 40%. Look also at the loose forward combination. As big and strong as Schalk Burger is, and as awesome a ball carrier as Bobby Skinstad is, they're lost without the supporting pattern. The typical break from the base of the scrum was a good example of the disaster. Under pressure from the Boks' poor scrum, resultant wheel to the wrong side and opposition scrummie on his heels, Skinstad was always in a poor position to pick up and carry. While Schalk was immense and a good partner for Bobby, Roussouw seemed a little slow. From there things fell apart, with the backs more often than not committing to support in the absence of the locks. Pienaar often struggled to get clean second phase ball, and as a result the backline again looked devoid of any potency on attack.

It's easy to blame De Villiers for looking poor on the back of this, but in reality, few backs can create without any space and with slow ball.

Lack of fluency

Having said that De Villiers has been the victim of poor quality ball is not to excuse him for his part in the paper tiger that is our Springbok backline. He looks nothing like the player once rated the most exciting inside centre in world rugby. Outside him, Jaques Fourie has looked undercooked. And of course, being a wing outside that lot means you're never going to score unless from broken play. For years now we've lamented the lack of involvement of our wings and cheered only when they've looked for work. We've decried the limited times that Monty has joined the line. Fix the basics and that will change.

Wayne Julies deserves to wear the Bok 12 right now. His superior distribution might just fire Jaque Fourie. Failing that, given Jake's apparent intention to rest his first choice team, Waylon Murray might be worth testing outside him on the away leg of the Tri-Nations.

However, without securing better quality of ball from scrums and rucks, without thought as to patterns and structures according to the state of the game, our backline will continue to look prosaic.

What works

There is no doubt we possess the best lineout in world rugby. Matfield and Botha are peerless as jumpers at 2, 3, 4 and 5. As with all things though, we tend to overplay our strength. Of course the lineout offers one of the best attacking platforms from five meters out. And of course being able to compete on the opposition's ball allows for fantastic attacking potential.

Jake's consistency is selection has benefits. His belief in Ashwin Willemse might just be rewarded. For a guy to have been out for so long to play with the hunger and workrate Willemse did yesterday is remarkable. Monty is in sublime form at the moment and provides the team with dependability, if not always under the high ball. Butch looked better yesterday than he has and provides a safe option at flyhalf. His distribution needs work though and he needs to run on to the ball more - he's currently a little flat footed.

The most important thing going for the Boks at the moment is the self-belief they seem to have post their good Super 14. Perhaps these losses will make use stronger in blunting possible arrogance. However, the problems we have have existed for a long time. It is asking a lot to overcome them suddenly prior to the world cup.

The Tri-Nations away leg

Jake's squad has been announced and his strategy is to rest his top players. The squad is:

Johan Ackermann, Eddie Andrews, Gary Botha, Deon Carstens, Tonderai Chavhanga, Michael Claassens, Bolla Conradie, Bismarck Du Plessis, Jannie Du Plessis, Bevin Fortuin, Peter Grant, Derick Hougaard, Wayne Julies, Hilton Lobberts, Johann Muller, Waylon Murray, Wynand Olivier, Breyton Paulse, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Jaco Pretorius, Bob Skinstad, Albert van den Berg, Wikus van Heerden, AJ Venter, Cobus Visagie, Pedrie Wannenburg, Luke Watson.

As usual, some of White's choices are baffling. Chavanga's long absence does him no favours. How Claassens gets in ahead of the in form Heini Adams boggles the mind. Fortuin's fantastic 2006 season form was not carried into 2007. Breyton Paulse remains the best organiser of the Bok rush defence, but was woefully out of form in the Super 14, short on workrate and pace. Eddie Andrews' name will have many people tearing their hair out. Jaco Pretorius remains a curate's egg.

On the plus side, White has either been overruled or been prepared to reconsider Cobus Visagie and Luke Watson despite his previously stated views on both. The promising form of Peter Grant (apparently sublime for the Emerging Boks) has been recognised.

My match 22 for the away leg would be (regardless of the selected squad - but with resting, testing and giving existing players a chance to build continuity in mind):

Francois Steyn, JP Pietersen, Waylon Murray, Wayne Julies, Odwa Ndungane, Peter Grant, Ruan Pienaar, Bob Skinstad (captain), AJ Venter, Luke Watson, Ross Skeate, Johan Ackerman, Cobus Visagie, Bismark du Plessis, Deon Carstens. Substitutes: Derick Hougaard, Heini Adams, Pedrie Wannenberg, Hilton Lobberts, CJ van der Linde, Gary Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp.

Frankly, I believe that a test is a test and I hate the thought of losing due to resting first choice players en mass. I'd rather see rotation happening over the long term and in an organised fashion. However, we are where we are. The danger is that we might well provide the All Blacks with just the step up they require to regain the fluency in their game we caught only a glimpse of yesterday.

If current form is to be continued, I wonder if the following team should end up in the World Cup semis:

Percival Montgomery, JP Pietersen, Waylon Murray, Wayne Julies, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Fourie du Preez, Bob Skinstad (vice captain), AJ Venter, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Cobus Visagie, John Smit (captain), Deon Carstens. Substitutes: Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Pierre Spies, Danie Roussouw, CJ van der Linde, Bismark du Plessis, Gurthro Steenkamp.

Of course, I'd have Bakkies running up sand dunes first and tie a rope from Schalk to Matfield. That may be the only way to get him to join a ruck.

My player ratings versus the All Blacks:

Montgomery - 8

Rock solid when kicking at poles, made his tackles, chasing his kicks. Few opportunities on attack.

Willemse - 7

Looked for work, made tackles. Surprisingly good for somebody who has been out so long.

Fourie - 6

Made a memorable tackle, but received little good ball.

De Villiers - 4

Innocuous on attack.

Pietersen - 6

Not his best. A victim of a bad bounce and wrong footed once, his improved defence was made to look suspect.

James - 6

Solid. His flip passes must give his team mates nightmares. When they work they look great. If they don't they are easy points to the opposition. Defended well. Flat footed when receiving ball on attack.

Pienaar - 6

Had a difficult time behind a struggling scrum and ruck. Forced into box kicks on occasion. Had a role to play in Steyn's nightmare - should have taken the pressure himself and gone for the box kick then.

Skinstad - 6

Wasn't allowed to play due to poor scrum ball and absence of support at rucks. Worked hard.

Roussouw - 6

Worked hard but a little slow in support play. Didn't really see evidence of a pattern to match the potential power play of Os, Bakkies, Matfield and Daniesaurus together.

Burger - 9

Colossal. Workrate was incredible. Made tackle after tackle, hit tuck after ruck. Could have been man of the match on the losing side.

Bakkies Botha - 6

Made another huge start to the match but faded later. Does not look fully fit.

Matfield - 5

Awesome in the line outs but virtually anonymous beyond that. I challenge even Prozone to find him in the last 30 minutes. Did not impose himself on the game as captain.

BJ Botha - 5

Not up to his Super 14 standard. opposition tactics seem to be negating his effectiveness at scrum time.

Gary Botha - 5

Better in the lineouts than against the Aussies, but struggled in the scrums.

Du Randt - 6

Stayed on the park longer than I thought he would and made some trademark tackles in broken play. Could he find form before the world cup?

Wannenberg - 5

Unlucky to have copped it, 30 seconds after coming on, for his team's earlier indiscretions at the breakdown.

Steyn - 3

He needed to make sure of his line kicks and play the percentages when he came on. His dropped pass and confusion with Pienaar on his line were disasters. He's a real talent and will hopefuly get the support he needs after this. Should have gone on the away leg of the tour with a point to prove.

Other subs: Bismarck du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Johann Muller, Michael Claassens, Wynand Olivier - no rating

No real impact on the game.