Sport

Youth and experience to give All Blacks the edge

A year ago the All Blacks were criticised by coach Wayne Smith for not having the character to withstand a backs-to-the-wall …

Sat Jul 21 2001 - 01:00

A year ago the All Blacks were criticised by coach Wayne Smith for not having the character to withstand a backs-to-the-wall performance from the South Africans in Johannesburg.

This year, in the opening Tri-Nations match in Cape Town today, they hope to fare better.

The Springboks ended a run of four successive defeats with a 46-40 victory last year - the most points and tries ever conceded by an All Black side.

"We could have lost that match by 30 points only individual brilliance saved us from that," said Smith.

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"We let our standards down that day but we are starting to get together a group of influential players with the right attitude to take the step up."

The All Blacks go into the match without the injured Christian Cullen but are otherwise at full strength.

Ten of last year's starting XV survive to face a Springbok side of which only seven have been retainerd in the starting line-up by coach Harry Viljoen.

Five players in the starting XV get their first taste of Tri-Nations rugby and one of them, centre Marius Joubert, makes his debut having not yet even played Super 12 rugby because of injury.

The uncapped 21-year-old loose forward Johann van Niekerk is on the bench having not even played Currie Cup rugby.

The other newcomers in the starting team are wing Dean Hall, flyhalf Butch James, lock Victor Matfield and hooker Lukas van Biljon who have only six test caps between them.

"We have a balance of youth and experience and some special players," said Viljoen.

The Springboks have highly-rated tighthead prop Cobus Visagie back in their line-up after he successfully overturned a two-year ban for a failed drugs test.

This is the 57th meeting between the sides. New Zealand have won 27 and South Africa 26 while three matches have been drawn.

Defending champions Australia enter the competition on July 28th with a match against the Springboks in Pretoria.

The Wallabies completed their domination of world rugby last Saturday when they clinched a series victory over the British and Irish Lions.

They added the tourists' scalp to the World Cup, Tri-Nations Trophy, Bledisloe Cup (versus New Zealand) and Mandela Trophy (South Africa), which already fill a groaning trophy cabinet.