The Springboks are nowhere near to being down and out, despite an unsatisfactory start to the international season that saw them beat Scotland 2-0, lose to France and relinquish their number two world ranking.
Springbok coach Jake White remains optimistic that his squad will perform well, against expectation, in their overseas leg of the Tri-Nations competition.
White’s optimism stems from a history lecture he gave to the media in the Springboks’ final press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. He said how his team from two years ago — riddled with inexperienced youngsters — surprisingly won the Tri-Nations.
”I have to be optimistic. I am excited about this team and the opportunities that lie ahead for them. For me, this is more like déjà vu because we had lost guys before the Tri-Nations and I had brought in exciting young players and there was a lot of history also against us,” White said.
And White’s greatest enemy, besides the All Blacks and Wallabies, has been the deluge of injuries that has befallen the Springbok camp.
The Boks leave South Africa on Thursday without lock Bakkies Botha and playmaking centre Jean de Villiers. Johan Muller replaces Botha, while White hopes that De Villiers could join the squad in the later stages of the Tri-Nations.
Botha has been ruled out for the duration of the competition. De Villiers is hoped to have recovered midway through, with White saying he will bring De Villiers back into the squad ”as soon as he is ready”.
The other injury update was that of winger Breyton Paulse, who is nursing a hamstring strain but should be fit for the Boks’ opening match against Australia next Saturday.
”The problem is not now, but it’s something that has been coming. I was warned by Prof Tim Noakes and our medical staff about this [injuries] happening and I made presentations to those who were interested. I am, though, excited about the new guys and I want to see how they do on this tour,” said White.
While there is excitement about the four new caps in the squad — Akona Ndungane, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Pierre Spies and JP Pietersen — greater challenges lie in store for White at flyhalf and centre, where the Springboks have been found wanting in recent games.
”Chiliboy, Pierre and JP have always been part of our plans and we had discussed including them in the squad from the beginning. We [selectors] felt that we had to give them an opportunity to play for the national under-21 side before bringing them into the squad,” White said.
White’s squad has had casualties in Hanyani Shimange and Gary Botha, who were surprisingly left out of the squad. White said he was giving the duo an opportunity to get some game time after warming the bench for the better part of the Scottish Tests and the one-off Test against France.
”Gary and Hanyani have not had much time to play and that is exactly why they are not in the team,” White said.
The Springboks had little time to sharpen their skills at home after flight disruptions on Monday and a marathon meeting between White, the SA Rugby Board and the president’s council over White’s ambition to be at the helm of the Boks in 2009, even though he is contracted until the World Cup next year.
The president’s council on Tuesday refused White’s request of a contract extension, opting to review the contract after the World Cup.
”It was not a major thing. It is called negotiations and that is what we were doing. The important thing now is that we go to New Zealand and Australia and do what we do best,” White said. — Sapa