Barney Spender : Rugby
Four down and now just Scotland to go which, with all due respect to the Murrayfield faithful, ought to be at the Italian end of the difficulty scale.
The Scots were well beaten by Australia a fortnight ago and are struggling with injuries to key players. Lions heroes Tom Smith and Doddie Weir are definitely out, while Rob Wainwright looks a doubtful finisher, even if he gets on to the field.
No, complacency apart, the Springboks should win comfortably on Saturday. A repeat of the 34-10 scoreline they managed on their last visit three years ago could be on the cards, and thoughts may even drift to the famous 44-0 shutout they achieved at Murrayfield in 1951.
There have, of course, been many plus factors during the tour, not least of which are the return to winning ways and the discovery of a killer instinct. In Lyons, they lived up to their reputation of allowing a lead to slip, but in Paris, and at Twickenham, there was no such generosity. That is especially important as they will soon be facing the All Blacks again who need no invitation to spoil the party.
Individuals have also come on. Rassie Erasmus and Krynauw Otto have performed in such a manner as to make us temporarily forget the likes of Ruben Kruger, Fritz van Heerden, Kobus Wiese and Hannes Strydom. Behind the pack, Dick Muir has pulled the strings with a subtlety which has been lacking for some time and Andre Snyman, Percy Montgomery and Pieter Rossouw have all benefited.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect, though, is the growing maturity and discipline of a team which is not renowned for its sang froid. And nowhere has this been better displayed than in the performances of the two James’s – Dalton and Small.
In days gone by, just the names were enough to light the touchpaper. Both have been sent off in Test matches. Dalton walked during the World Cup scrap with Canada which resulted in his missing the final, while Small got his marching orders early in his international career in 1993 for backchatting Ed Morrison in Brisbane. In spite of the fact that another five players have been sent off wearing Springbok colours (only Andre Venter in a Test), the stigma of hothead has stuck to them more than anyone else.
However, there now appears to be sufficient evidence to suggest that the leopards have changed their spots. On Saturday, both were under intense scrutiny as the English media talked up the face-off between Dalton and his opposite hooker Richard Cockerill, and also the less direct battle between Small and John Bentley, who had tangled in the Lions match against Western Province amid accusations of eye-gouging.
Cockerill, in particular, had been blowing his mouth off, but Dalton’s response was to bury his head in another steak sandwich and talk about the positive aspects of his game. During the match he was penalised for offisde and consequently gave away three points to Mike Catt’s boot. The fact that he was hacking away what looked like a loose ball, made him a touch unfortunate but, rather than remonstrate with the referee or question his parentage as he might have done not so long ago, he kept schtum and got on with the game.
Later, he was further provoked when England lock Danny Grewcock caught him flush in the mouth with a decent right hook. Again he reacted with restraint, avoiding any retaliatory action as Grewcock got the yellow card. Only when he had a try disallowed shortly after did Denis the Menace flash his eyes.
On the whole, though, it was an exemplary show of control which suggested that the bad boy was growing up.
“James took a lot of flack after the World Cup, people were very down on him all the time,” says Gary Teichmann. “But I think he realised that at the pace the game is played at today, you can’t afford not to play the ball. If you play the man you get left behind. So I think he’s enjoying himself now with the ball in hand.”
Today, “Bullett”, who scored a magnificent “ball in hand” try against the French in Lyons, is the first one to put his hand up and admit he erred.
“It’s a lesson I learnt the hard way. You don’t play in a World Cup final every day, and you certainly don’t win one in your own back garden every day. I went away and told myself `you are the best in the country and if you want to become a legend and play 50 or 100 tests, then you’ve got to concentrate on your strong points’.”
Small, meanwhile, appears to be thriving on the responsibility of being a senior member of the team. Nick Mallett, the coach, has put him on the disciplinary committee and Small has responded in positive fashion. He now has the cut of a young man who is no longer fighting a lone battle against the rest of humanity.
“I think they realise now that they can’t get rid of me so they are trying to incorporate me,” he laughs. “It is an honour and a responsibility, but it brings the best out of me.”
It certainly does. Small, who plays his 47th Test on Saturday, is playing better than ever. He may not be scoring all the tries, but his increased awareness and team mentality has led to a number of players benefitting from sitting on his shoulder. Murrayfield, however, would be a grand place for him to equal Danie Gerber’s try- scoring record.