Injury-ravaged world rugby champions South Africa head for Britain and Ireland hoping to complete their first Grand Slam in 50 years.
The Avril Malan-led green and gold class of 1960 overcame Wales 3-0, Ireland 8-3, England 5-0 and Scotland 12-5 to complete a fourth consecutive “Slam”.
But since Malan and his Springboks returned home triumphant, the feat of emerging victorious against the four home unions during a tour has eluded one of the most consistently powerful rugby-playing nations.
South Africa failed to win a Grand Slam match in 1969, losing in Edinburgh and London before drawing in Dublin and Cardiff, and also came up short in 1998 and six years ago.
The latest bid begins on Saturday evening against Ireland, and the 1995 and 2007 world champions tackle Wales, Scotland and England on the following three weekends before meeting the Barbarians in a December 4 London tour finale.
A 30-strong squad lacking 13 injured contenders, including captain and hooker John Smit and South African Player of the Year and loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp, travels north more in hope than expectation.
There have been predictable positive sound bites by coach Peter de Villiers and lock-cum-skipper Victor Matfield after Johannesburg training sessions, but these words cannot camouflage problem areas like centre and the back row.
If centre Jean de Villiers fails to shake off a groin injury, De Villiers could be forced to pair Adrian Jacobs, who has barely played this year and is suspect defensively, with uncapped 20-year-old Patrick Lambie.
While Currie Cup final man-of-the-match Lambie is viewed by South African coaches, pundits and fans as a future star, most believe he is best suited to flyhalf and fear the mental scars he might suffer if Ireland dominate.
Coach De Villiers reportedly favours a Juan Smith-Ryan Kankowski-Pierre Spies loose trio for Dublin, ignoring the need for a ruck-and-maul “scavenger” like All Black Richie McCaw or Wallaby David Pocock.
Issue of tactics
First-choice flyhalf Morne Steyn is among the best place kickers in the world when on form, but other areas of his game have suffered this year with provincial and national team partner Fourie du Preez sidelined by injury.
There is also an issue of tactics with Currie Cup champions Sharks and runners-up Province, who supply 12 of the squad, favouring a ball-in-hand approach similar to that deployed this year by the near-invincible All Blacks.
But Super 14 champions the Bulls — who contribute nine players — prefer the traditional Springbok game of kicking for position and then using turnover ball and penalties to accumulate match-winning totals.
After victories over Wales away and at home to Italy (twice) and France, South Africa had a dismal Tri-Nations campaign, losing five of six matches against New Zealand and Australia and conceding 22 tries.
These results have left a dark cloud hovering over De Villiers, with most South Africans pundits adamant the coach must go if he does not deliver at least two Test victories this month.
De Villiers has denied persistent reports that he went behind assistants Dick Muir (backs) and Gary Gold (forwards) and tried to replace them with Allister Coetzee of Province and Frans Ludeke of the Bulls.
Should the coach be dumped eight months before South Africa defend the world crown in New Zealand, Coetzee, Ludeke and coaching directors Heyneke Meyer of Bulls and Rassie Erasmus of Province could come into the reckoning. — AFP