The world champion Wallabies are taking scant notice of the Springboks’ run of under-achieving performances in the lead-up to next Saturday’s Tri-Nations opening game in Cape Town.
Australian teams traditionally struggle in the republic, but with high-profile Wallabies Stephen Larkham, Matt Burke and Owen Finegan returning, Australia will be favourites against the Springboks.
The Wallabies’ form has been mixed, but South Africa have failed to impress in their close wins over Scotland and Argentina at home.
On Saturday their Springbok-laden A side beat lightweights Namibia, rated a 6 000-1 chance to win the World Cup, by 25-9 in Windhoek.
The A side included 17 international players, but managed only a solitary try to replacement hooker Dale Santon and was forced to rely on fly-half Derrick Hougaard kicking five penalties and a conversion to set up the win.
The Australians arrived in the wine district Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town late on Saturday, and spent a relaxed day on Sunday to shake off their jet-lag.
Wallaby coach Eddie Jones was surprised by the Namibian scoreline, but didn’t believe his rival Rudolf Straueli would be unduly concerned.
”We haven’t seen the video of the game just yet and it was tight result,” Jones said.
”But South Africa are always well planned for the World Cup. They’re a bit like France, they always perform well at the big tournaments and they always have plans leading into those tournaments and I don’t think this year is any different.”
The Wallabies have only won 25% of all Tests in South Africa, but have had some success playing at sea level at Newlands, winning three of seven Tests there, although the last was in 1992.
Jones believed the side Australia faced would be very different from the season’s earlier Springbok lineups — both in personnel and attitude.
”We’re not drawing anything out of their recent matches because they always lift when they play against Australia,” he said.
”You’ve just got to look at their track record over the years, they’re always confident when they play us there.
”Our intention is to play well and to beat them. Whether we’re favourites or not is a bit of a non-issue for us.”
Meanwhile, the Rugby Union Players Association (Rupa) and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will be in the New South Wales Supreme Court here on Monday.
Rupa, which represents the Wallabies, is seeking an injunction to prevent the ARU from forcing the players to sign the contentious World Cup player agreement.
RUPA wants the agreement to comply with the players’ existing Collective Bargaining Agreement, and believes the current offer falls far short.
ARU spokesperson Strath Gordon said the injunction would prevent it from putting the agreement in front of players.
”That’s what they’re (Rupa) trying to stop us doing,” Gordon said on Sunday.
”The court action is on the grounds that the offer will be unacceptable but until we put an offer to them, how would they know that it’s unacceptable.
”That’s the logic of our case and it remains to be seen whether the judge agrees that these orders are premature.”
If the court rules in favour of the ARU, it will present an updated player agreement to the Wallabies next week. – Sapa-AFP